The People's Party (PP; Thai: พรรคประชาชน, RTGS: Phak Prachachon) is a social democratic and progressive political party in Thailand. It is the successor party of the former Move Forward Party[1][16] which was dissolved by the Constitutional Court of Thailand on 7 August 2024.[17][18][19] Originally founded in 2012 as the Thinkakhao Party and later the Thinkakhao Chaovilai Party, it was renamed into the People's Party as a successor to the Move Forward Party on 9 August 2024. It is the third incarnation of the Future Forward Party, which was dissolved on 21 February 2020.[20]
The People's Party was originally formed as the Thinkakhao Party (Thai: พรรคถิ่นกาขาว) in 2012,[21] later changing its name to the Thinkakhao Chaovilai Party (Thai: พรรคถิ่นกาขาวชาววิไล). Before becoming the People's Party, the Thinkakhao Chaovilai Party had 10,474 members in August 2024. Its leadership had Tul Tintamora as party leader and Alisa Sattayawirut as deputy-leader, who both assumed their posts on 5 April 2024. During the 2023 general election, 13 candidates were fielded but the party failed to win any seats.[22]
As the People's Party
Prior to the Thai Constitutional Court's ruling on the fate of the Move Forward Party, it was reported that Thinkakhao Chaovilai had been prepared as a successor party for Move Forward.[22] Move Forward was dissolved by the court on 7 August 2024, which also included five of its MPs being banned from politics. Following the dissolution, all of the remaining 143 MPs joined Thinkakhao Chaovilai.[23] Meetings were then held to elect new party executives, with Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut being elected its new leader and the name was changed to the People's Party (PP).[16][24] The People's Party shares its Thai name with four historical parties, most recently in 1998.[25][26] Some commentators noted its English name might be an intentional nod to Khana Ratsadon, the group that overthrew absolute monarchy in Thailand, whose name is commonly rendered into English as the People's Party.[27]
The party was officially launched on 9 August 2024. On just the first day, more than 10 million baht was already donated. On the following day, applications for membership were accepted from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Stadium One, Charoen Phon Intersection.[28] By the end of the day, its membership had grown to almost 40,000 and the total of donations to the party had exceeded 20 million baht.[29]
Soon after the People's Party's formation it was challenged by the small royalist Thai Pakdee Party. Warong Dechgitvigrom, leader of the Thai Pakdee Party, announced on 11 August that he would ask the Election Commission (EC) to conduct an investigation into whether the party should be disqualified due to it having lacked enough branches in the country when it was the Thinkakhao Chaovilai Party. Thai law states that political parties must maintain one branch in each region of Thailand (north, northeast, central plains and south) for one year in order to exist legally. Before becoming the People's Party, it only maintained one branch in the north and two in the central plains. Warong then stated that “for transparency, the EC must check it."[21] On 12 August, the Secretary-General of the EC Sawang Boonmee responded by saying that the People's Party had registered branches in all regions and dismissed Warong's claims.[30] Despite this, Warong said he would submit a petition to the EC and that they "must examine if the Thin Kakao Chaovilai Party had those branches in every region by the time it was taken over."[31]
Political ideology
The People's Party has stated that their political ideology is liberty, equality, fraternity.[32] Party leader Nattaphong stated that the party would still pursue amendments to Thailand's lèse-majesté laws, an issue which had landed its predecessor Move Forward in legal trouble.[33]
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