
Academic-turned-politician Anek Laothamatas has made it no secret that the party he founded, the Ruamphalang Prachachartthai Party, or the Action Coalition for Thailand (ACT), plans to gain political support from voters of the now-defunct People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).
The ACT debuted early this month with former PDRC secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban deciding to join the camp, explaining the party would be a "people's party" in which the public are the real decision-makers who can choose the party's executive and set the policies.
The PDRC played a major role in street protests against the Pheu Thai Party-led government that resulted in its downfall in the May 22, 2014 military coup staged by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).