Natthaphong: no PP votes for Bhumjaithai PM, but partnership possible

People’s Party (PP) leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut said on Sunday, December 28, 2025 that PP MPs will not support any prime ministerial candidate from the Bhumjaithai Party, even though a PP-led coalition could still accept Bhumjaithai as a partner under strict conditions.

No support for any Bhumjaithai PM candidate

Speaking to reporters while leading PP party-list candidates to register at the Centara Life Government Complex Hotel on Sunday morning, Natthaphong reiterated that PP MPs would not vote for a Bhumjaithai nominee for prime minister.

He was responding to questions after he said last week that PP MPs would not back Anutin Charnvirakul as prime minister if Bhumjaithai won the February 8, 2026 election, arguing Anutin had broken a promise to support charter amendments.

Coalition talks possible, but with a key condition

Natthaphong said the PP-led coalition could still work with Bhumjaithai if the party accepted the PP’s main condition: no ministers with links to “grey” or dirty-money businesses.

He said Cabinet members must not be involved in illicit activity such as drug trafficking, online gambling operations, or online scam networks.

“We have a principle that Cabinet members must meet a higher standard than the law requires, without the need for evidence,” he said.

Natthaphong added that the PP still stood by its stated position that no PP MPs would vote for any Bhumjaithai prime ministerial candidate.

Article 112 not part of PP election platform

Natthaphong said the PP had no policy to use amendments to Article 112 of the Criminal Code (the lèse-majesté law) as an election campaign platform.

He said the Constitutional Court had prohibited political parties from using Article 112 amendments in election campaigns when it ordered the dissolution of the Move Forward Party. After that dissolution, former Move Forward MPs joined the PP.

Natthaphong said Anutin and Abhisit Vejjajiva should stop raising the issue in the campaign, after both said last week their parties would not join a coalition with any party seeking to amend Article 112.

Dispute with Anutin over alleged “distortion”

Anutin has claimed Natthaphong made clear in a debate among prime ministerial candidates that the PP would still seek to amend Article 112. Natthaphong said on Sunday that Anutin had distorted his remarks.

Asked to confirm that a PP-led government would not pursue an Article 112 amendment if it won the election, Natthaphong said that because it was not a campaign policy, it would not be included in the government’s policy statement to Parliament.

Asked whether the party could push for an amendment in the future, he said it would depend on what people wanted later.

Amnesty position and contingency plans

Natthaphong said the PP maintained that if an amnesty were granted in political cases, those charged under Article 112 should also be included.

On concerns that 44 former PP MPs could later be banned from politics if convicted of violating the charter over their sponsorship of an Article 112 amendment bill while they were Move Forward MPs, Natthaphong said the party had prepared contingency plans, including switching some candidates from constituency races to the party-list.

Party-list line-up and PM candidate rankings

Natthaphong said the party selected its 100 party-list candidates based on qualifications, not factional quotas.

He said he would run as the No 1 party-list candidate, followed by Sirikanya Tansakul at No 2 and Veerayooth Kanchoochat at No 3. The three are also listed as the PP’s prime ministerial candidates, ranked first to third, respectively.