Suriya denies pressuring Paetongtarn to quit as Pheu Thai leader
Suriya Juangroongruangkit denies pressuring Paetongtarn Shinawatra to resign as Pheu Thai leader and vows legal action against fake news claims.
- Pheu Thai election director Suriya Juangroongruangkit denied accusations that he pressured Paetongtarn Shinawatra into resigning as party leader.
- The allegations, which Suriya is suing over for defamation, claimed he threatened to lead 70 MPs to defect if Paetongtarn did not quit.
- Suriya dismissed the claims, reaffirmed his loyalty to the party, and stated he would never lead a defection.
- While Paetongtarn has officially resigned, Suriya said he is not prepared for the top post and believes the new leader will be a new face to refresh the party's image.
Suriya dismisses claims of internal party conflict
Pheu Thai Party election director Suriya Juangroongruangkit on Wednesday denied accusations that he pressured Paetongtarn Shinawatra to resign as party leader to pave the way for the party’s new executive board election next week.
He also said he would file a defamation lawsuit against political activist Thaikorn Polsuwan, who allegedly spread false news that Paetongtarn stepped down on Tuesday following an ultimatum from Suriya.
Thaikorn claimed on his Facebook page that the Juangroongruangkit family had forced Paetongtarn to quit, warning that if she refused, Suriya would lead 70 Pheu Thai MPs to defect.
Suriya: no pressure, no plan to defect
Suriya dismissed the claim, saying there are only two members of the Juangroongruangkit family in Pheu Thai. He vowed to take legal action against Thaikorn and said he would not agree to any out-of-court settlement.
He reaffirmed his loyalty to the party, saying he had made his political debut with Thai Rak Thai, Pheu Thai’s predecessor founded by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
“I will never lead anyone out of the party; instead, I’ll bring more people into Pheu Thai,” Suriya said, stressing his goal to help the party win 200 House seats in the next election.
He added that he had served as deputy prime minister and transport minister when Paetongtarn was prime minister in the previous government, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to work under her leadership.
Pheu Thai leadership transition
Asked whether he was ready to lead Pheu Thai himself, Suriya said he was not yet prepared for the top post and believed the party should be headed by a young-generation leader. He pledged full support for whoever becomes the next leader.
When asked if the new leadership would mark a break from the Shinawatra family’s influence, Suriya said it would be impossible for Pheu Thai to cut ties with the family. Thaksin, he noted, founded Thai Rak Thai and introduced popular policies such as universal healthcare, while his sister Yingluck Shinawatra had also made significant contributions as prime minister.
However, Suriya admitted that the upcoming leader would likely be a new face from within the party and not a member of the Shinawatra family, in order to refresh Pheu Thai’s image and align with modern political trends.
New leadership vote set for October 31
Suriya, who was appointed Pheu Thai’s election director on October 17, has so far unveiled 205 election candidates and set a target of securing at least 200 MPs in the next poll.
After announcing Paetongtarn’s resignation on its official Facebook page, the party confirmed that it would hold a leadership and executive board election at 10am on October 31 during an extraordinary assembly.
Following her resignation, the current executive board became a caretaker committee, which appointed Chusak Sirinil as acting party leader until the new election takes place.
