Thailand’s disbanded opposition party relaunches under new name, leader

Move Forward Party has been renamed the People’s Party, the largest in parliament, and has promised to advance reforms.

Thailand’s main opposition Move Forward Party (MFP) has relaunched with a new name and leader after being forced to disband by a court this week.

The new party will be led by tech entrepreneur Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut and known as Prachachon, party representative Parit Wacharasindhu told journalists in the capital, Bangkok, on Friday.

It will be referred to as the People’s Party in English.

“The reason for this name is because we would like to be a party by the people, from the people, for the people, to move Thailand forward so that people can be the supreme power,” Parit said.

MFP, which won the most seats in last year’s election, was blocked from forming a government and was ordered to dissolve in a unanimous ruling by the constitutional court on Wednesday.

Its executive board members were banned from politics for 10 years. While 10 MFP members have been banned, 143 of the party’s politicians who kept their seats in parliament have joined the new party.

The court said it violated the constitution when it pledged to amend the country’s strict royal defamation law.

The European Union, United States, United Nations and human rights groups blasted the court’s decision, which the EU said harmed democratic openness in Thailand.

Natthaphong, 37, told a news conference that Prachachon will carry on MFP’s ideology.

“The mission for me and the party is to create a government for change in 2027,” he said, referring to Thailand’s next national election.

MFP’s liberal agenda won significant support from young and urban voters – but also earned it some powerful enemies – with plans that include reforming the military and dismantling business monopolies worth billions of dollars each year.

Its bid to amend a law on royal insults riled influential generals and royalists with far-reaching connections, who see the monarchy as sacrosanct.

Thailand’s lese-majeste law is one of the world’s strictest, with punishments of up to 15 years for each perceived insult of the crown.

Although the court in a January ruling ordered MFP to drop its campaign, Natthaphong said the new party would continue the push to change the law, known as Article 112.

“We have said we propose to amend Article 112 to ensure that this law is not a political tool used to abuse others, but we won’t be careless,” Natthaphong said.

The People’s Party is the third incarnation of the Future Forward Party, which was dissolved for a campaign financing violation in 2020, triggering nationwide antigovernment protests.