Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, a former member of the Election Commission, has joined the Seri Ruam Thai Party led by former police chief Pol Gen Sereepisuth Temiyaves.
Mr Somchai said on Saturday he is now a Seri Ruam Thai member, having paid the 2,000 baht application fee, but did not say when he officially joined the party.
"Thanks to Pol Gen Sereepisuth for having accepted me to work for the party. I don't know yet whether I would be a party candidate in the next general election.
"My duty is to propose various opinions deemed useful for the party. I will propose new strategies for Seri Ruam Thai to win more seats in the next election, for which rules and regulations have changed, putting small parties at a disadvantage. I am confident that my strategies will be helpful to small parties," he said.
The Seri Ruam Thai Party won 10 seats in the House of Representatives, all from the party list, in the March 24, 2019 election, including Pol Gen Sereepisuth, the party leader.
In that election, Mr Somchai ran for a House seat under the Democrat Party banner, but was not elected. When the Democrat Party resolved to join the Palang Pracharath-led coalition, he resigned from the party and became an independent academic.
Sources said at Seri Ruam Thai, Mr Somchai had served as Pol Gen Sereepisuth's adviser.
Pol Gen Sereepisuth, meanwhile, said the party was ready to field candidates in the next election.
He said the party would soon reveal 26 candidates to run in Bangkok's constituencies. As for candidates to contest the election in other provinces, he would reveal their identities after the Palang Pracharath Party had announced its candidates.
Concerning Uttaradit MP Saranwut Saranket, who said he would join Seri Ruam Thai after he was expelled by the Pheu Thai Party, Pol Gen Sereepisuth said he had been contacted by Mr Saranwut.
Pol Gen Sereepisuth said he would wait for Mr Saranwut to make his final decision in early November.
The Pheu Thai Party expelled Mr Saranwut as its member on Oct 12 for disloyalty. According to the Political Party Act, Mr Saranwut has 30 days to join a new party.