Words of caution have been directed at the Pheu Thai Party looking to score a landslide win in the next election, warning that the path back to Government House may not be strewn with roses.
Once a staunch ally of Pheu Thai, Jatuporn Prompan, who co-led the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) movement which backed the party, said the battle to secure an election victory cannot be fought in parliament alone.
He suggested the "Three Por" generals -- a reference to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda -- have been in power for so long, that mechanisms for managing elections may be prone to manipulation at Pheu Thai's expense.
Mr Jatuporn, who reportedly fell out with some UDD stalwarts and Pheu Thai, has teamed up with former prominent figures of the defunct, yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), the UDD's former rival, and co-founded a protest group called the Kana Lomruam Prachachon (Melting Pot Group).
He announced at a rally that the name speaks of the group's aspiration to unite people across the colour-coded political divide to bring down the Three Por generals whom he blames for mismanagement of state affairs, culminating in the consumer price crisis and unprecedented hardship for many people.
The group has vowed to protest even while Gen Prayut remains suspended as prime minister by the charter court pending its deliberation of his tenure. He insisted Gen Prayut may be taking a break but the influence of the Three Pors is not.
However, observers said Kana Lomruam has yet to "take off" as it struggles to attract sizeable support, partly because political tensions have subsided due to Gen Prayut's suspension.
Mr Jatuporn said protest momentum needs to be maintained regardless. He argued the generals' power over the government was still strong and could become stronger with Gen Prawit as acting premier.
Gen Prawit, dubbed the "big brother" of the Three Por generals, has been in politics much longer than Gen Prayut or Gen Anupong. He possesses an extraordinary ability to work with movers and shakers in various parties, and the government with him at the helm is predicted to be sturdy.
He is also likely to be acting prime minister for the long haul now that Gen Prayut's power has waned, according to Mr Jatuporn.
The change in government leadership was highly theatrical and the generals may not be merely clinging on to power but possibly expanding it through Gen Prawit, he said.
The protest leader believes Pheu Thai also stands to lose because of the three generals dominating the government. He feels the main opposition party should be wary of holding on to a "pipe dream" of an election being held in the first half of next year.
Pheu Thai, fired up with the hope of staging a landslide victory in the next election, should consider its biggest impediment -- the crucial but half-baked organic bills on the election of MPs and political parties.
Mr Jatuporn said although both bills are technically on course for enactment, they are being challenged in the Constitutional Court over content that allegedly breaches the charter.
Especially, sections in the bill on the election of MPs, which should have been amended in tandem with the restored dual-ballot election system, were left unchanged.
This may present a reason for the bill to be quashed by the Constitutional Court, the consequence of which would be dire as it may push back any election due after parliament's term expires in March next year, Mr Jatuporn said.
Also, he said the constitution requires laws associated with arranging general elections to assume the status of organic laws which are greater in importance than ordinary legislation.
In the event that one or both of the organic bills cannot be promulgated in time for the next election, an idea has been floated to invoke an executive decree to organise the polls instead.
Mr Jatuporn insisted no executive decree can be issued as it was lesser in rank than an organic law. If the government went for the decree option, it would open another can of worms and ignite a major legislative quagmire.
He alleged a "trap" has been set even before the election is in sight.
In a warning to Pheu Thai, Mr Jatuporn said Gen Prayut did not engineer the 2014 coup which ousted the party from government only to see power handed back to it nicely gift-wrapped.
"Does the party honestly think it's going to be that easy?" he said.
Pheu Thai should not forget how important "politics of the masses" is to the survival of a government, Mr Jatuporn said.
He is understood to be telling Pheu Thai it should not concentrate on winning an election and think it can conquer government. If it supports the people's movement it would succeed.
Pheu Thai gained the most seats in the previous election in 2019 but failed to form a coalition to govern. Palang Pracharath, the second biggest party, eventually cobbled up enough support from various parties to gain a majority and put together the government.
Marriage of convenience
Supporters are struggling over what to make of Korn Chatikavanij's recent move that could see him formally stand down as leader of the Kla Party he single-handedly founded to become a new choice for voters.
Korn: Puzzles his supporters
Out of the blue, came news on Thursday last week that Kla (Courage) was teaming up with the Chart Pattana Party and that they could be eyeing a merger.
Both parties confirmed a press briefing was planned the following day where Mr Korn and Chart Pattana Party chairman Suwat Liptapanlop were to announce a major step in politics.
Already, speculation was rife both parties were working towards a political marriage, much to the bewilderment of Kla supporters, some of whom took to social media to lambast the party for keeping the "deal" a secret.
Twenty-four hours later, Mr Korn appeared with Mr Suwat and declared he was joining Chart Pattana's economic team but ruled out a merger of the two parties.
Mr Korn also stopped short of spelling out whether he will quit as Kla leader prior to joining Chart Pattana's economic panel.
Mr Suwat said it was he who made the approach to Mr Korn, a former finance minister, to join Chart Pattana's team and offer his expertise to overcome tough economic challenges facing the country.
Chart Pattana will hold a general assembly to elect seven new party executives and four members of a strategic committee, Mr Suwat said, adding that it was not decided yet what position Mr Korn would hold.
"I insist this is not a merger. We have invited Mr Korn because he has experience and shares the same aim of addressing this country's economic crisis," Mr Suwat said.
Some observers questioned the timing of the move and, as political pundits put it, leaving Kla's fate up in the air. However, they believe it is a matter of when, not if, Kla is integrated with Chart Pattana in some way.
Even though what was witnessed on Sept 2 was the equivalent of asking for a hand in a political marriage, the two parties would not be able to formalise any merger even if they tried. Unless and until a royal decree has been published scheduling the polls, it is inconceivable the two parties could merge. An organic law on the election of MPs stipulates that no merger can materialise if either or both of the parties have an MP.
Kla has zero, while Chart Pattana commands two party list and two constituency MPs.
A political analyst has weighed in and suggested Mr Korn may be looking for a chance to join Chart Pattana and possibly capitalise on the party's ministerial quota and use it as a ticket to claim a cabinet seat for himself.
Chart Pattana, despite being a tiny party, had been allocated a PM's Office Minister post, which went to Thewan Liptapanlop, in the first Prayut cabinet reshuffle. Mr Korn knows that time for him to have a shot at serving in the cabinet is running out, given that the current parliament's term expires in March next year.
People are being kept in suspense over the outcome of the charter court's ruling on whether Gen Prayut can remain in office. He has been suspended pending a court ruling on whether he has already completed his maximum eight-year term as premier.
The analyst said Mr Korn missed his chance to join the cabinet when he was still a member of the coalition Democrats. He ran for the party leadership but lost to Jurin Laksawanwisit despite his credentials in finance.
Following that defeat, he left the Democrats to establish Kla, a party championing a pragmatic approach to politics.
It has fielded candidates in by-elections in various constituencies both in Bangkok and in the South. However, it has failed to score a single win.
The analyst said Mr Korn and Mr Suwat may have had talks and agreed to put Chart Pattana's ministerial quota to use with Mr Korn filling a ministerial portfolio if and when a cabinet reshuffle is called.
Some government insiders believe a shake-up is long overdue as four cabinet posts remain vacant; a deputy agriculture minister seat vacated by Capt Thamanat Prompow, former secretary-general of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP); a deputy labour minister post left vacant by Narumon Pinyosinwat, a PPRP member; a deputy education minister seat vacated by Kanokwan Vilawan, of the Bhumjaithai Party; and the deputy interior portfolio previously held by Democrat, Niphon Bunyamanee.