
A coalition of Thai political parties, struggling to form a government after two failed attempts, announced Friday it would try again next week to persuade conservative parliamentary opponents to back it, and suggested it might consider removing its most progressive member which won May's election.
The eight-party grouping met in Bangkok on Friday for the first time since a combined sitting of the House of Representatives and Senate on Wednesday voted to block Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the progressive Move Forward Party, from becoming prime minister. Pita was rejected last week in a first vote on whether to name him prime minister, and was knocked out of contention on Wednesday when a procedural vote decided he could not be nominated a second time.