Tuesday's planned meeting of the eight political parties intent on forming a new government was suddenly cancelled.
The meeting had been called by the Pheu Thai Party to discuss progress in getting additional support for the nomination of a preferred prime minister. It was scheduled for 3pm.
Pheu Thai announced the meeting's cancellation in a message sent to reporters on the LINE app early Tuesday afternoon.
The message said the other seven parties in the alliance had been informed.
The Pheu Thai Party initially made an appointment for the eight parties to meet on Tuesday at 2pm at Pheu Thai headquarters. It later changed the time to 3pm and the venue to the parliament building, only to finally cancel it.
Sources said Pheu Thai had apologised to the other parties for the cancellation. It explained that its assigned task of seeking support from parties outside the alliance, and from senators, in a parliamentary vote to select the new prime minister had not made satisfactory progress.
The cancellation came after the Ombudsman on Monday asked the Constitutional Court to order parliament to postpone the next prime ministerial vote and rule on the constitutionality of parliament's resolution rejecting the renomination of Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat for prime minister.
MFP secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon said after the meeting's cancellation that the Pheu Thai Party probably needed more time to prepare a proposal to be presented to the eight parties.
He doubted parliament would now go ahead with the joint sitting scheduled for Thursday to select the prime minister. But if so, the meeting of the eight parties should be rescheduled for Wednesday.
If the parliament meeting was postponed, the eight parties could meet later, he said.
The eight parties are Move Forward, Pheu Thai, Prachachat, Thai Sang Thai, Seri Ruam Thai (Thai Liberal), Fair, Plung Sungkom Mai (New Force) and Peu Thai Rumphlang.