The Bhumjaithai Party will contest the next general election without the Matchima faction of Somsak Thepsuthin, party leader Anuthin Charnvirakul said on Wednesday.
BJT originally had 34 MPs - 27 of the Friends of Newin faction and seven of Matchima.
Mr Anuthin admitted Matchima had broken away from BJT. Two of the remaining MPs, one a Si Sa Ket MP and the other a Ratchaburi MP, had also shown their intention of leaving the party.
So, at the next elections BJT would initially go with 25 sitting MPs, including himself, Mr Anuthin said.
The BJT leader said he would try his best to lead all 25 back into the House of Representatives.
He denied being in conflict with Mr Somsak, the Matchima group leader, saying they were still on good terms and in contact.
Newin Chidchob, a party founder who is now busy managing the Buri Ram United Football Club, would continue to give him advice, although he had declared he would not to be involved in politics, he said.
Mr Somsak had earlier announced his group was now independent of the BJT, although it was officially still part of the opposition, but stopped short of saying whether the Matchima faction would dessert to join the coalition government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.