A group calling itself Thai Spring has asked lawmakers to make sure a committee is set up to seek damages from those responsible for the rice-pledging scheme.
"Someone must be held accountable," says Mr Kaewsun. (File photo by Chanat Katanyu)
The group, led by Kaewsun Atibhodhi, submitted a letter to the National Legislative Assembly on Friday, asking it to follow up on the issue.
"Someone must be held accountable for the damages incurred from the programme in addition to facing criminal and disciplinary actions," said Mr Kaewsun, a former Bangkok senator and vice chancellor of Thammasat University.
The Thai Spring group also opened a website for people to sign up until Dec 18 for a petition to the prime minister to take such civil action.
Mr Kaewsun said the account-closing committee of the programme said the damages were 600 billion baht. "If nothing's done in two years, the statute of limitations will end and the prime minister will have the National Anti-Corruption Commission to answer to.
"If the prime minister wants to be in jail or takes the fall for them, he can do nothing. We come here today to make sure he's aware of his duty. We insist we have no intention to deep the rift and won't take to the streets," said Mr Kaewsun, a member of the now-defunct committee set up after the 2009 coup to scrutinise Thaksin Shinawatra's assets for irregularities.
Asked why he did not push the same action for the rice price guarantee programme and replacement police station cases of the Democrat-led government, Mr Kaewsun said unlike the rice-pledging scheme, the price-guarantee programme aimed at supporting market prices, which was reasonable.