Democrat MPs to invite Chalermchai to helm the party

13 Sept 11:34 Key points summarised by AI

Twenty-one Democrat MPs have agreed to invite former secretary-general Chalermchai Srion to assume the vacant party leader post, confident he will be elected this Saturday.
The group, representing 51% of votes, believes Chalermchai is the most appropriate candidate due to his strong relationships across all party factions.
Concerns remain that the leadership election meeting on Saturday might not materialize, as two previous attempts failed due to a lack of a quorum.
Chalermchai had previously announced his decision to withdraw from politics, while Narathip Kaewthong and Watanya Wongopasi have officially declared their candidacies for the leadership role.

Speculation growing over merger between Bhumjaithai and Kla Tham parties

Yesterday 16:46 Key points summarised by AI

A dinner between Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul and Kla Tham leader Capt. Thamanat Prompow ignited widespread speculation about a potential merger between their parties.
The meeting is viewed as a strategic message to coalition partner Pheu Thai, indicating Bhumjaithai's alternative options following Pheu Thai's chief whip's remarks about not fully defending all ministers in the upcoming no-confidence debate.
A direct merger between parties with sitting MPs is currently prohibited by Section 99 of the Constitution until the House's term expires, though MPs can switch parties through dismissal or party dissolution.
These constitutional rules aim to prevent financially strong parties from easily absorbing smaller ones, a practice that historically led to single-party dominance, as seen with Thai Rak Thai's 2005 election victory.