Senator Mongkol Surasajja, a former Buri Ram governor, is strongly tipped to be selected as the Senate Speaker when the Upper House convenes on Tuesday.
The selection of the Senate Speaker and two deputies will follow the swearing-in ceremony.
The most senior senator has been approached to preside over the inaugural meeting.
A source close to the matter said that Mr Mongkol has backing from some 150 senators, calling themselves the “Blue” group, who are reportedly allied with the coalition partner Bhumjaithai Party, whose official colour is also blue.
Mr Mongkol himself is said to have connections with a powerful “Ban Yai” (big house) political family in the northeastern province of Buri Ram, the political capital of Bhumjaithai.
The “Blue group” reportedly met to prepare for today’s meeting and agreed to endorse Mr Mongkol for the Senate Speaker post and Senator Gen Kriangkrai Srirak, former 4th Army chief and former adviser of Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, for the first deputy role.
According to the source, the group has also agreed to back Senator Boonsong Noisopon, an ex-career judge and former member of the Election Commission (EC), for the role of second deputy.
Another faction of senators who call themselves the “New Breed” will nominate Nantana Nantavaropas for Senate Speaker, economic expert Lae Dilokvidhyarat for first deputy, and human rights activist Angkhana Neelapaijit for the second deputy post.
Yutthaporn Issarachai, a political science lecturer at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, on Monday questioned the senators’ independence.
“Whether it is ‘Blue’, ‘Independent’, or ‘New Breed’ when they band together, negotiations follow. They are like political parties in disguise,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ms Nantana wrote on Facebook yesterday that she is not disheartened, although her potential opponent has overwhelming support.
According to the 2019 Senate meeting rules, the nomination of a candidate must be endorsed by at least 10 senators. The candidates must outline their vision before the voting.
If there are at least two candidates, the voting is carried out in secret. If there are two candidates, the candidate with the most votes is selected. If there are more than two candidates, the candidate who gets the highest number of votes wins if the number is more than half of all votes cast.
The candidate who contests unopposed is automatically considered selected.
Mongkol:'Ban Yai' connections