Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat says he will announce the outcome of his talks on forming a government with five other political parties on Thursday morning.
Mr Pita met with key figures from the Pheu Thai, Prachachart, Seri Ruam Thai, Thai Sang Thai and Fair parties at Chez Miline, an upscale restaurant not far from Government House in Dusit district on Wednesday afternoon to discuss their coalition formation plan.
The six parties together won 310 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives, based on unofficial results of Sunday’s election.
Senior officials from Pheu Thai have been urging other parties to support a Pita premiership, aiming to have enough votes to outflank the military-backed Senate. The Democrat Party on Wednesday indicated it might vote for Mr Pita even while remaining in opposition.
The mood outside the restaurant was jovial as the participants arrived just before 4pm before heading inside for closed-door talks. After about an hour and a half, representatives of the six parties emerged and posed happily for photographers.
Mr Pita said that he would announce the outcome of the talks at 10am on Thursday.
As the group started to disperse, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and Piyabutr Saengkanokkul arrived at the restaurant.
They were the founders of the Future Forward Party that was dissolved in 2020 and reincarnated as Move Forward. They had a high profile during the just-concluded election campaign, travelling around the country and appearing at rallies every night. But officially they are banned from political activity and have faded into the background since Election Day.
Asked about the topics under discussion, Mr Piyabutr said he had nothing to do with the talks because he was only a campaign assistant of the Move Forward Party.
They had gathered to celebrate their victory and invited Mr Pita and Mr Thanathorn to share a meal, Mr Piyabutr said.
The venue of the talks, Chez Miline, was also the restaurant where the parties concerned discussed the formation of the government led by Chatichai Choonhavan in 1988. It was overthrown by a coup three years later.
Leaving the restaurant at about 8pm, Mr Pita said that all the parties were happy enough about forming a government and there would not be any “political accident”.
Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew said two other microparties — Plung Sungkom Mai with one MP-elect and Peu Thai Ruamphalang with two — had asked the Move Forward Party about joining the planned coalition.
That would bring the total to eight parties with 313 House seats, Dr Cholnan said.
