Move Forward Party (MFP) leader and list-MP Pita Limjaroenrat was forced to leave the joint sitting of MPs and senators yesterday afternoon shortly after the Constitutional Court suspended him as an MP pending its ruling on his media share-holding case.
Mr Pita, attending the meeting as the sole candidate for the second round of voting for the prime minister's post, rose to address lawmakers at 2.44pm about the court order.
"The court has issued an order suspending me from performing my duties. I'd like to inform the House speaker that I've acknowledged the order and will comply with it until a final decision.
"I'd like to take this opportunity to say farewell to the House speaker. Until we meet again," he said.
Mr Pita said the country had changed since the May 14 general election, from which his party emerged the largest with 151 MPs.
He said the people had won half the battle. He called on MPs to fulfil their roles and answer people's needs.
The MFP leader left his MP card on his seat, waved to the MPs and shook hands with some before leaving the chamber. Shortly before 2pm he posted on his Instagram that he was unlikely to win the second round.
"It is clear that under the current system gaining people's trust isn't enough to run the country, and [we] need approval from the Senate.
"And it's possible that we don't have enough [support] to be renominated," he wrote.
The Constitutional Court order suspending Mr Pita was reportedly accepted by the secretariat of the House at 1.38pm.