The Thai Forest Conservation Party, with two list MPs, has threatened to pull out of the coalition led by Palang Pracharath after the second largest party reportedly gave the environmental portfolio to another party.
Damrong Pidej, leader of the small party, also known in Thai as Rak Puen Pa, said at a briefing on Saturday the party was considering being an independent opposition, meaning it would not join the seven-party "demicratic front" opposition led by Pheu Thai.
Mr Damrong said that with two MPs, his party did not expect any ministerial seats but simply wanted to work in the area it had expertise in.
“We agreed to join the coalition because PPRP invited us to help with policies on natural resources and the environment, which we focus on," he said. “We believed then that PPRP would be in charge of the ministry and we have nothing against it."
But as talks on the formation of the new government progressed, it became clear the party in charge of the Natural Resources and the Environment Ministry would be Chartthaipattana, not PPRP.
Varawut Silpa-archa, son of the late former prime minister Banharn, is tipped to be the minister.
Asked whether he would agree to stay on if Chartthaipattana asked his party to help, Mr Damrong said he did not think it would work because parties other than PPRP might have different environmental policies. “We fear we might not able to push forward the policies.”
Mr Damrong added he would give PPRP time until the cabinet list is submitted to His Majesty the King. “If we’re not contacted by then, we would not join the government.
“I’ve made clear my stance of working on environmental issues. I set up the party for the purpose and I campaigned with green policies. If I can’t deliver ... if I was assigned to work on culture or in other areas, it won’t work. All the votes we got are from people who want us to work in this particular area,” he said.
Mr Damrong, 67, from Uthai Thani, was a government official all his life. He was two-time director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and deputy permanent secretary of the Natural Resources and the Environment Ministry.
His work involved growing watershed forests in the North.
Mr Damrong shot to fame overnight when he led an operation to reclaim forests in the Thap Lan National Park in July 2012, two months before he retired.
He led 4,000 park officials nationwide to demolish nine resorts totalling 1,857 rai in Wang Nam Khiao and Thap Lan.
Mr Damrong was transferred after the incident. After the 2014 military coup, he was appointed an adviser to the National Council for Peace and Order and later as a member of the now-defunct National Reform Steering Assembly.
Rak Puen Pa was set up in 2012. In the March 24 election, it won 134,816 votes, ranking 14th by popular vote, according to official results announced by the Election Commission on May 28.