The newly established Sang Anakhot Thai (Building Thailand's Future) Party is standing firm that it will not join any government led by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, according to deputy party leader Suranand Vejjajiva.
Mr Suranand, a former secetary-general to the prime minister during the Yingluck Shinawatra government, on Facebook said he almost decided to quit the party after a meeting was held to discuss its stance regarding Gen Prayut's premiership.
At the meeting, he suggested that if the party were to win at least 25 House seats in the next general election -- the minimum requirement for a party to nominate a prime ministerial candidate -- there should be nothing stopping it from nominating former deputy prime minister Somkid Jatusripitak as a PM candidate, Mr Suranand posted.
The party's secretary-general, Sontirat Sontijirawong, said previously that Mr Somkid had accepted an invitation to serve as a prime ministerial candidate for the Sang Anakhot Thai Party.
"I insist that I will not vote for Gen Prayut whatsoever," he posted.
However, he added that his suggestion had been dismissed by an executive member of the party as "farcical''.
"If Sang Anakhot Thai joins a government led by Gen Prayut again [after the election], I can't afford to get involved," Mr Suranand posted online.
However, he added that he subsequently discussed the issue with party leader Uttama Savanayana, who assured him the party would support Mr Somkid for PM, and that the party would not back Gen Prayut for the same role nor join any government with him as premier.
Sang Anakhot Thai is ready to be in the opposition camp if Gen Prayut returns as premier, Mr Suranand quoted Mr Uttama as saying.
Mr Sontirat said it was still too early to officially announce the party's candidate for prime minister because the date of the next general election remains unknown.
At the party's general assembly on April 20, Mr Uttama, a former finance minister, was elected party leader while Mr Sontirat was named secretary-general.
The former leader and secretary-general of the Palang Pracharath Party, respectively, resigned from the ruling party and their cabinet posts in 2020 due to an internal conflict.
Mr Somkid, who was deputy prime minister at the time, also stepped down from the government citing health problems.