Chartthaipattana has experienced a steep decline since its heyday in the 1990s, when two leaders of its first incarnation, Chart Thai, rose to the post of prime minister.
Now, in a sign of how far the party has fallen, all 10 Chartthaipattana MPs, including its leader Varawut Silpa-archa, have opted to join the ruling Bhumjaithai Party, seen as a favourite to win the general election due early next year.
Bhumjaithai, led by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, has now secured support from numerous MPs of other parties, as well as backing from powerful provincial political dynasties. These new allies have pledged to leave their current parties to contest the election under Bhumjaithai once the current House of Representatives is dissolved.
Analysts say the Chartthaipattana defectors are making a strategic move to secure greater influence and resources in the next government, aiming to strengthen their voter base.
‘No disbandment’
The small party will continue to exist despite the mass defection of its MPs, with Varawut’s sister Kanchana set to serve as the new leader, according to party director Nikorn Chamnong.
“This doesn’t signal the dissolution or collapse of Chartthaipattana. Rather, it’s a major strategic adjustment to maximise benefits for the public,” he said on November 23.
The same day saw Varawut and other key party figures, including Nikorn, showed up at a Bhumjaithai press conference led by Anutin to announce Chartthaipattana’s move to align with the ruling party.
Varawut, Chartthaipattana’s only list MP, said all the party’s MPs had agreed on the move. Of the party’s nine constituency MPs, five represent its stronghold, Suphan Buri, three are from Nakhon Pathom, and one is from Roi Et.
Critics have accused Varawut of trading his late father Banharn’s political legacy for short-term gain.
Varawut, who served as social development and human security minister in the previous government, said he saw nothing wrong with a small party joining a larger one “to build a strong alliance and contribute to a healthy political system and smooth-running government”.
Glorious past
The small party’s previous incarnation, Chart Thai, was founded in 1974 by a powerful military-political clique representing the Choonhavan, Adireksarn, and Siriyothin families.
Chart Thai regularly joined coalition governments during its 34-year lifespan. The party was a major partner in the government of General Prem Tinsulanonda for eight years from March 1980 to August 1988.
It twice became the ruling party, with Chart Thai leaders Chatichai Choonhavan and Banharn Silpa-archa serving as prime minister from 1988 to 1991 and from 1995 to 1996, respectively.
Chatichai, who died in 1998 at 78, was known for mending regional relations fractured during the Cold War with his “turning a battlefield into a marketplace” policy. He was ousted in a military coup in February 1991.
A year later, Chart Thai, under new leadership, still opted to back coup leader General Suchinda Kraprayoon as the new prime minister after the March 1992 general election.
However, Varawut’s father, Banharn, was credited with laying the foundations for the so-called “People’s Constitution” of 1997, considered more democratic and inclusive than its predecessors. He dissolved the House of Representatives in September 1996 amid coalition pressure for him to step down over opposition allegations of mismanagement.
A turning point
Chart Thai was disbanded by the Constitutional Court in December 2008 for electoral fraud. The court also imposed a five-year political ban on 43 party executives – including Banharn and his children, Varawut and Kanchana.
A month later, Chartthaipattana was founded as a vehicle for the remaining Chart Thai MPs and key figures, with Banharn’s brother, Chumpol, serving as the party’s first leader. Following Chumpol’s death in 2013, Banharn’s close aide Teera Wongsamut took over the party’s helm.
Kanchana became the leader in 2018 after her political ban expired. She was succeeded by Varawut in 2022.
Chartthaipattana failed to repeat the election successes of its predecessor, whose MPs represented constituencies far beyond the party’s Suphan Buri stronghold. Its best performance was in the 2011 election, when it won 19 seats out of the 500 up for grabs.
After Banharn died in 2016, that figure fell to only 10 seats in the 2019 and 2023 elections.
As leader, Kanchana sought to rejuvenate the party by handing key roles to younger politicians. Succeeding her, Varawut then rebranded Chartthaipattana as a moderate party focused on the environment and social welfare.
However, both attempts failed to revive its fortunes, leading to this month’s dramatic decision to climb aboard Bhumjaithai’s electoral bandwagon. The upcoming vote and new government will reveal whether that gamble pays off.
