17-8-2023 (BANGKOK) Thailand’s Pheu Thai Party received a significant boost on Thursday (Aug 17) as it secured support from a rival military-backed party, potentially strengthening its chances of forming a government ahead of a prime ministerial vote in parliament next week.
The United Thai Nation Party (UTN), which fielded former coup leader Prayut Chan-o-cha as its prime ministerial candidate in the May election, announced on Thursday that it would assist Pheu Thai in forming a government.
Prayut, currently serving as caretaker prime minister, initially came to power through a coup against a Pheu Thai-led government in 2014.
UTN spokesman Akaradej Wongpitakroj stated to reporters, “United Thai Party will join the government with Pheu Thai. We agree to join in order to move the country forward together.”
Thailand has been under a caretaker government for over five months after the leader of the Move Forward party, which won the election, faced opposition from conservative and pro-army factions in his bid to become prime minister.
Following this impasse, the second-ranked Pheu Thai party took over the task of forming a government earlier this month, replacing its former ally, the Move Forward party.
In the past, Pheu Thai governments, supported by the influential Shinawatra family, were overthrown by military coups in 2006 and 2014 when the party’s interests clashed with the country’s powerful old-money elites and royalist military.
Pheu Thai is expected to nominate real estate tycoon Srettha Thavisin for the position of premier in a vote scheduled for next Tuesday. To secure a majority in the bicameral legislature, including the military-appointed Senate, the party will need the support of more than half of the members.
While Pheu Thai has garnered the backing of 13 other political parties, it will require additional support from the unelected Senate to achieve its goal of forming a government.
