Ousted PPRP secretary-general Thamanat hints at ‘new surprise’ in Facebook rant
In a short clip posted on Facebook, Phayao MP and former secretary-general of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party, Captain Thamanat Prompow, promised he has a surprise in store for people.
“My new party is already established and I have been getting ready to transfer for quite a while. We will also have a surprise that will be revealed soon,” he said.
Thamanat and 20 other MPs linked to him were ousted from the ruling party on Wednesday for allegedly rifts in the party, especially after Thamanat threatened to pull his faction out unless the Cabinet is reshuffled.
“I did not resign as MP but was ousted by votes from more than three-fourths of the party’s executives. My MP position, however, is still intact,” Thamanat said in the 3.27-minute clip.
“But I’m worried about my brothers and sisters in the party who share my ideology. Who will take care of them after I’m gone?”
Thamanat also pointed out that he has supported many PPRP MPs in their campaigns upcountry during the Covid-19 crisis.
“More than 80 per cent of the funding for these campaigns came from me and the party leader. Who will carry out these campaigns now?” he bemoaned.
“I’m a straight talker, and this may have upset certain politicians. However, after I’m out, all issues between me and anyone else can be considered closed permanently,” he added.
“When I was with PPRP, I was restricted by many conditions, which I won’t discuss here. I hope that my new home [party] will give me more freedom to initiate projects that I have been planning for the benefit of Thai people.”
It is widely speculated that Thamanat will join the New Economics Party (NEP), which was established in March 2018 and will now be led by General Wich Thephasadin na Ayutthaya.
Under the law, Thamanat and the other former PPRP members must seek a new “home” in no more than 30 days to maintain their MP status.