The Pheu Thai Party has accused "people in power" of increasing their efforts to lure its politicians into their fold, asking whether this behind-doors approach is the best four years of political reform has to offer.
Party former secretary-general Chawalit Wichayasuth said on Wednesday that some former Pheu Thai MPs had revealed they were recently invited to meet authoritative figures to talk about switching parties in the lead-up to a general election next year.
They were promised "positions, budgets and financial help during the election", but the former MPs only thanked them and turned down the offers, according to Mr Chawalit.
That was an old trick in the political game, he said, and then asked why it should still be necessary when the military-engineered government was trying to push ahead with its national reform proposals.
"Thai politics is still trapped in the old cycle," Mr Chawalit said, adding he regretted the time wasted planning so-called political reform if this was the result.
It was also very unacceptable that some high-ranking figures had lobbied the former MPs themselves, he said.
His allegations come amid growing rumours that former MPs in many provinces are being approached to join a military-backed political party which will support Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's return as premier after the general election.