Is the Ban Pa legacy coming to an end?

The political legacy from the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) era still present today consists of two political parties: United Thai Nation and Palang Pracharath, whose once-bright glow is slowly fading away.

Key figures from the 3 Ps ( Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, Gen. Prayuth Chan-o-cha and Gen. Anupong "Pok" Paochinda) era have found their own places in life. The only one still holding on in the political ring is “Uncle Pom”, aka Gen. Prawit of the Five Provinces Bordering Forest Preservation Foundation or Ban Pa. He continues to hold his ground as the leader of the Palang Pracharath Party.

The atmosphere at the Ban Pa today is markedly different from the past. Back when Uncle Pom wielded power as Deputy Prime Minister overseeing security and various ministries, the Ban Pa office served as a command centre for both government and political affairs. Many crucial meetings of different ministries, over which Uncle Pom presided, were often held at the Ban Pa, frequented by ministers and officials of all ranks. Politicians from various parties regularly visited to pay respects or seek support from the Ban Pa's chief.

But times have changed, and the situation at the Ban Pa has quieted down considerably. Many political allies are now out of the power cycle, while some have chosen new paths.

Only Capt. Thammanat Prompao, the Secretary-General of the Party, seems to be maintaining his position of power and is currently serving as the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives.

He is a key figure and has successfully consolidated Palang Pracharath MPs into a cohesive group. However, some of these MPs appear to be in turmoil, uncertain of their stance in the major political battle involving Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister, who has criticised the Ban Pa for causing political turmoil, clearly targeting Uncle Pom.

Some of the minor political players, who visit the Ban Pa almost daily, are being scrutinised for persuading Uncle Pom that he still has a path to reclaim the number one political seat.

It is this very vulnerability that has allowed his aides and political operatives to exploit him or persuade him to act according to their wishes, despite the past lessons from the political split among the 3 Ps siblings. Even now, such people remain close, causing the situation for both Prawit and Palang Pracharath to look grim.

The pressure comes from the most influential figure of them all, V1, who is directing the major political groups in several provinces that are seen as the main pillars of Palang Pracharath, pushing them to join the ruling party.

V1’s manoeuvring appears to kill two birds with one stone: increasing the ruling party’s MPs while simultaneously dismantling Palang Pracharath.

It’s no surprise that within Palang Pracharath, no one dares to respond or defend Uncle Pom against the accusations of political chaos caused by being behind the scenes in requesting the Constitutional Court to consider the impeachment of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin for appointing Pichit Chuenban as minister despite having inappropriate qualifications, as they know exactly who they are up against.

An off-the-record meeting among the ruling party leaders and the influential V1 earlier this week at a central city safe house, which serves as V1’s political command centre, has made the future political landscape clearer.

Key figures from the coalition parties are certain: from now on, "If there’s an uncle, there’s no us". The government must exist without Palang Pracharath!

Keep an eye on the signals after June 18, as some cases involving the influential figure might be resolved more favourably, potentially giving them full control over political management.

In parallel, Uncle Pom’s situation at the Ban Pa is under V1’s scrutiny, as his group manoeuvres to end the Ban Pa legacy and remove Palang Pracharath from the coalition government in the near future.