Pita named adviser to Move Forward’s new leader, as many expect his return

The appointment, made by the largest opposition party’s new executive board, came after Chaithawat was elected party leader at Move Forward’s general meeting earlier in the day.

The meeting was held at the party headquarters in the Thai Summit Building.

Apichat Sirisoontorn, meanwhile, was elected to fill the post of party’s secretary-general, which was previously held by Chaithawat.

Pita, the initial frontrunner to become Thailand’s 30th prime minister, said on Saturday that he would continue working for Move Forward even though he was no longer party leader.

He also dismissed media speculation that the leadership change would only last for as long as he is suspended from MP’s duties.

“The election of the new executive board is Move Forward’s restructuring aimed at getting the party to progress further and get ready for any political accident,” Pita said.

He reiterated that his resignation as party leader was necessary to pave the way for his successor to assume the post of opposition leader.

Pita quit as Move Forward leader on September 15 after realising there was a slim chance of him being appointed as opposition leader any time soon. This was because he had been suspended as an MP pending a ruling by the Constitutional Court on whether he contested the election while knowingly holding media shares – a violation of the law. Observers expect a ruling on the case by December.

However, Pita’s successor Chaithawat said after his election on Saturday that he and other new party executives would be glad to vacate their positions and pave the way for Pita’s return to the party’s helm when the court clears him of the case.

Separately, Pita met US Ambassador Robert Godec to discuss Thai politics, the envoy reported in a social media post on Friday evening.

“Excellent discussion today with Pita Limjaroenrat and MFP colleagues. Welcomed the exchange as part of the US engagement with voices across the Thai political spectrum,” Godec wrote in his official X (formerly Twitter) account (@USAmbThailand).

Pita was accompanied by his Move Forward colleagues, including Surachet Pravinvongvuth and Patsarin Ramwong.

Patsarin posted on Facebook that one of the topics discussed with Ambassador Godec and his team was “period poverty”, which refers to the lack of access to sanitary products and menstrual hygiene education. She said Thailand could learn from the US, in which certain states hand out free sanitary napkins for female school students and prison inmates.

Meanwhile, Pita said on Saturday that his friendship with Piyabutr Saengkanokkul has remained unchanged despite a recent conflict when Piyabutr criticised Move Forward’s leadership.

“I have met him from time to time. We just had dinner together. We are friends,” he said.
 

Piyabutr, formerly secretary-general of Move Forward’s predecessor, Future Forward Party, has been banned from politics along with other top executives of the now-defunct party, including former leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and Pannika Wanich.

The trio are now core leaders of the Progressive Movement, a political pressure group formed after Future Forward was dissolved by court order in 2020.

Piyabutr recently came under heavy attack from Move Forward supporters after he criticised its leaders of “doing nothing” to support Pannika following a Supreme Court verdict banning her from election or appointment to political office for life.

The court found Pannika guilty of breaching ethical standards for an act that was deemed disrespectful to the monarchy.

Piyabutr said in a Live Facebook session on Friday that he would stop making “straightforward critical” comments against Move Forward after its supporters bombarded him with harsh condemnation.