Natthaphong upbeat as 28,000 new members join People’s Party

People’s Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut on Saturday thanked the public for their warm support after more than 28,000 people applied to be members of the party after one day of its launch, while donations made to the party have exceeded 17 million baht.

The party, which is the successor of the disbanded main opposition Move Forward, had set a goal of raising 10 million baht and gathering 100,000 members before August 31.

“We will probably keep the application open after the 100,000-member goal is met,” Natthaphong said during an assembly with party supporters at Stadium One shopping mall in Bangkok on Saturday.

“Our target is to find as many allies as possible, preparing us for the 2027 general election, when we will form a new kind of government,” he said.

Natthaphong was referring to a single-party government, which is the goal he announced during the party’s launch event on Friday.

He said that after the assembly in Bangkok, party executives will travel to other provinces to meet supporters and find new members. He added that the party has finished setting up task forces to lead strategies in each province.

Natthaphong said the party has also selected the candidate to compete in the by-election in Phitsanulok province to replace Padipat Santipada, a former Move Forward MP, and will soon make an official announcement.

It is believed that Padipat’s adviser Natachanon Chanaburanasak will be the People’s Party candidate in the by-election, for which the date will be announced in 45 days.

Padipat’s exit leaves the First Deputy House Speaker position vacant, for which the People's Party will also field a suitable candidate, Natthaphong said.

“That will be the first chance for the party's candidate to unveil our vision to the House of Representatives,” he said.