The art of forming alliances

Two new parties have been formed, which are thought will shore up the political fortunes of the ruling Pheu Thai Party in the next polls.

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Large parties tend to forge alliances ahead of elections to optimise their leverage in working to establish a potential coalition government.

Observers compare Pheu Thai to well-oiled machinery adept at building alliances to serve its government formation bids.

However, getting an ally sometimes involves parties being fragmented, as the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) learned the hard way and the United Thai National (UTN) Party may do soon.

Both parties belong to the ultraconservative camp.

The PPRP was booted out of the Pheu Thai-led coalition at the end of Srettha Thavisin's administration late last year. The PPRP leadership felt the party had been double-crossed by a faction controlled by its former secretary-general Capt Thamanat Prompow, who, along with more than 20 MPs, broke away over a conflict with party leader Gen Prawit Wongsuwon.

The Thamanat group's departure split the PPRP down the middle, leaving it with just 20 MPs.

Capt Thamanat’s group later defected to the Klatham Party, which Pheu Thai subsequently picked as a coalition partner while purging the PPRP. It was widely reported Klatham, led by Education Minister Narumon Pinyosinwat, turned its back on the PPRP after the latter's leadership denied the Thamanat-led faction its “rightful” share of cabinet posts in the current Paetongtarn Shinawatra administration.