Disbanded Thai party's members vow to battle old guard for power

New group, to be unveiled today, will carry forward same reform platform

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Defiant supporters of a disbanded Thai opposition party pledged to form a new outfit to challenge the conservative establishment's grip on power, setting the stage for more political turmoil in South-east Asia's second-largest economy.

The new party set to be unveiled on Aug 9 - will fight every election until it is able to "break the cycle" of dissolution of political parties viewed as a threat to the pro-royalist establishment, to achieve true democracy in Thailand, said Mr Pita Limjaroenrat, who is among about a dozen executives of the Move Forward Party banned by the Constitutional Court from politics for 10 years.

"I understand that you're disappointed, angry or sad," Mr Pita told hundreds of supporters gathered at the party office in Bangkok late on Aug 7 after the court decision.

"We won't let the anger consume us. We will carry it with us and let it explode at the polling stations in every single election from now." In a widely anticipated ruling, Constitutional Thailand's Court disbanded Move Forward on grounds its poll promise to amend the lese majeste law, which shields the Thai royal family from criticism, had violated election rules.

That brought down the curtains on a party that had rattled the country's military-backed conservative groups by winning the most parliamentary seats in the general election in 2023 and mounted a serious bid to form the government.

But a series of legal challenges were lodged to thwart the Harvardeducated Mr Pita's bid to become prime minister. The conservatives then joined hands with Pheu Thai Party, backed by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's family, to counter the rise of the reformist party.