Some key members of the former economic team of the Prayut Chan-o-cha government may return to politics through a new political party, with Somkid Jatusripitak as its prime ministerial candidate.
Uttama Savanayana and Sontirat Sontijirawong will hold a briefing on their political and economic agenda on Jan 3.
Mr Uttama was the finance minister while Mr Sontirat was the energy minister when Mr Somkid was a deputy prime minister in charge of the economy.
The pair also played a key role in the ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) after it was formed in 2019 as the parliamentary arm of Gen Prayut and his allies to contest the first post-coup election that year.
Back then, Mr Uttama was the PPRP leader and Mr Sontirat was its secretary-general.
All three resigned shortly after a cabinet reshuffle, fuelling speculation they had been sidelined by Gen Prayut.
Apart from the pair, Nipit Intarasombat, a Phatthalung MP who resigned from the Democrat Party recently, said he had joined the new party.
Mr Nipit said he would be the coordinator for the South of the new party, which would be named “Thailand Future”.
He told Thai media on Saturday that the party would be a vehicle for businesspeople who wished to help solve the economic crisis and restore the economy.
“Our policy is to fight poverty and help people and we’ll nominate Mr Somkid as the PM candidate,” he told Matichon Online.
“An overwhelming number of people have already applied to be MP candidates for our party in all provinces [in the South]. … We will field candidates in all 58 constituencies.”
Thai media reported the group had already registered the new party with the Election Commission. Mr Nipit said it would be unveiled on Jan 19.
Mr Uttama and Mr Sontirat were part of a group of four young technocrats loyal to Mr Somkid, dubbed the “Four Lads” by the Thai media.
They were brought into the Prayut cabinet by Mr Somkid when he agreed to help Gen Prayut with economic affairs from 2015-20.
The other two “lads” were Suvit Maecinsee, a former higher education minister, and Kobsak Pootrakool, a former PM’s Office minister.
All four men resigned as PPRP members in July last year ahead of a revamp of the party’s executive board, which resulted in Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon taking the helm.
A few days later, the four men also resigned from the cabinet along with Mr Somkid, forcing a major reshuffle and ending a phase of cooperation between Mr Somkid and Gen Prayut.
Mr Suwit told the Thai media he would not join the new party but would give it moral support.
In July this year, Mr Uttama announced the launch of the Thailand Future Foundation to brainstorm ideas from all groups on how to solve the Covid crisis. He chairs its advisory board and Supan Mongkolsuthee, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, is his deputy.
The initiative was viewed by some as testing the waters before the group set up a new party to back Mr Somkid as prime minister.
