Pheu Thai Defends Korat Dharma Party Removal From Opposition Bloc
Pheu Thai defended reclassifying the Korat Dharma Party out of the opposition bloc, citing parliamentary procedure requiring non-coalition parties to serve as opposition with full oversight duties. The move came after Korat Dharma voted aga
At 09:30 on September 23, 2026, at Parliament, Nattapong Ruengpanya, Pheu Thai MP and party leader, explained the decision to reclassify Korat Dharma Party (KDHM) out of the opposition bloc. He stated that under parliamentary procedure, any party not part of the government coalition must function as the opposition, and the expectation is full oversight duties.
Nattapong acknowledged that Korat Dharma representatives had expressed concern about the move appearing discourteous, but he insisted Pheu Thai had conducted proper coordination. He confirmed that Priset Watcharasindhu, Pheu Thai MP and opposition whip, had kept all coalition partners, especially Korat Dharma, updated before any public announcements.
When asked whether the action amounted to a second "MOA"—a reference to previous political deals—Nattapong said the outcome would depend on which bloc's vote count increased and suggested asking Korat Dharma directly about their voting intentions. He stressed that the process should respect the opposition coalition's internal coordination.
On the matter of a watch worn by Korat Dharma leader Air Chief Marshal Thammanas Prompow, which bore the name of Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul engraved on it, Nattapong cited Korat Dharma spokesman Atthakorn Sirilatthayakorn's statement that the personal relationship between the two men remained cordial and unchanged. He argued that parliamentary performance—not personal ties—should be the measure of a politician's true allegiance.
Priset countered that there had been no inflation of government support. He explained that efforts to clarify the opposition bloc's composition had been undertaken after Korat Dharma voted against the coalition's position on the 2570 budget bill, combined with the party's unclear stance on whether to join a motion of no confidence. He emphasized this was a separation of working mechanisms, not a conflict, and that technical rights such as debate time quotas remained Korat Dharma's entitlement. The opposition, he added, was prepared to continue full oversight work.
