The abrupt resignation of list-MP Mingkwan Saengsuwan from his New Economics Party (NEP) and from parliament stunned fellow politicians and members of the public alike.
The politician, formerly leader of the NEP, made the announcement after presenting a parliamentary speech during which he lashed out at PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and his government over their failures in tackling the country's problems. Chief among them he cited economic disparity that has widened since Gen Prayut took office.
He joined a chorus of opposition MPs in urging Gen Prayut to step down. The two-day debate which ended yesterday was called by the opposition in accordance with the charter's Section 152 allowing the opposition to initiate a session for the purpose of reviewing the government's performance though without a concluding vote. Several observers see the debate as a prelude to a no-confidence motion in two to three months.
Mingkwan Saengsuwan (Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul, Bangkok Post)
Mr Mingkwan's resignation is unfortunate. He's a top-notch politician. And although soft-spoken, he's consistently issued words of caution that have rung loud and clear. His criticism of government performance likewise has been direct but constructive.
Indeed, back in 2019 during deliberations targeting the Prayut government, Mr Mingkwan's time was up, and House Speaker Chuan Leekpai ordered him to stop. Yet while doing so the speaker also praised the politician profusely, saying his speech was of immense public interest.
Fast forward to this past Thursday, and Mr Mingkwan was fighting back tears while giving his resignation speech.
Supachai Phosu, deputy House speaker, urged him to carefully reconsider. Mr Mingkwan refused, saying he was uncomfortable working in parliament under present circumstances. He insisted however he wasn't leaving politics and would carry on towards his goal of eradicating inequality and poverty.
He walked down the aisle to the sound of fellow MPs' applause.
Once a Pheu Thai Party member, Mr Mingkwan established his own party shortly ahead of the 2019 elections. After that same poll the NEP initially aligned with the opposition bloc. Yet, his own party members had an eye on the coalition, leading to strained intra-party relations. Mr Mingkwan later quit as party leader.
Given the current coalition government rules with a razor-thin majority, it is always in need of extra support from MPs in opposite camps, even if secured through dubious tactics. This has given rise to the metaphorical monikers "bananas" for rebel groups that vote against their own party's ideological stance in exchange for short-term benefits, yet without an actual shift in stance; and "cobras" meaning breakaway groups in open defiance of their own party's policies.
Mr Mingkwan's abrupt resignation on Thursday has shone a light on these rebellious groups, both of which he says are prevalent in the NEP.
The machinations of bananas and cobras within parties have greatly damaged the image of the House of Representatives and Thai politics. However, during Thursday's deliberations Mr Mingkwan indicated blame could be assessed without as well as within, suggesting Gen Prayut and those close to him were partly to blame for incidents within the NEP.
For now, Mr Mingkwan can ponder his next political move without having to worry about slipping on banana peels or being bitten by cobras. For this veteran and respected politician, his resignation may prove to be short-term loss ahead of long-term gain.