Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut has flown under the political radar to become leader of the Move Forward Party’s successor, the People’s Party.
He was initially expected to become the party’s secretary-general after the more charismatic Sirikanya Tansakun, former Move Forward deputy leader, was tipped to take over as leader.
However, most Move Forward MPs voted for 37-year-old list MP Natthaphong as their new chief, so Sirikanya continues in her post as deputy leader of the reformist party’s latest incarnation.
She is not among the party’s five member executive board, composed of Natthaphong, party secretary-general Sarayoot Jailak, treasurer Chutima Khotchaphan, registrar Natthawut Buaprachum and Picharn Chaopattanawong.
A minimum of five people is needed to make up a party executive board, according to the Political Parties Act.
Anointed by Thanathorn?
Analysts said Natthaphong, a tech expert and former business executive, won the leader’s post because of his close ties with Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, who is thought to retain strong influence over Move Forward MPs.
Thanathorn, a tycoon-turned-politician, founded and led the Future Forward Party, which made a stunning electoral debut by capturing 80 seats and third place in the 2019 election.
The party was disbanded by the Constitutional Court in early 2020 after judges ruled that Thanathorn’s 191-million-baht loan to the party amounted to illegal funding.
Natthaphong joined Future Forward shortly after it was formed in March 2018 and won a seat as Bangkok MP in 2019.
The tech guru was entrusted by Thanathorn with overseeing the party’s digital platform – a job he kept after Future Forward was reincarnated as Move Forward.
At Move Forward, Natthaphong served as deputy secretary-general in charge of data systems and digital development. He oversaw IT projects for both parties, including the development of online fundraising hailed as a huge success. Move Forward raised more than 20 million baht online while campaigning for the 2023 election, he said.
Targeting House majority
After becoming leader, Natthaphong announced the People’s Party aimed to win a parliamentary majority at the next general election, due in 2027, so it can form a single-party government.
Move Forward won last year’s election but was blocked from taking power after the junta-appointed Senate voted en masse to reject its prime ministerial candidate, Pita Limjaroenrat.
Pita and his executive committee were banned from politics for 10 years in the Constitutional Court’s August 7 ruling to dissolve Move Forward for “attempting to overthrow the democratic system with the King as head of state” for pushing to reform the lese majeste law (Article 112 of the Penal Code). Key party figures declared Move Forward’s reincarnation would expand and win more MP seats in the next election.
Move Forward’s remaining 143 MPs shifted to their new home, which has been rebranded from a little-known micro-party called Thinkakhao Chaovilai set up in 2012.
“People's Party” echoes the English name of Khana Ratsadon, a group of Western-educated young military officers and civil servants who staged the 1932 Siamese Revolution and brought an end to absolute monarchy.
The latest People’s Party also shares the same Thai name, “Prachachon”, as four other now-defunct political parties – the last of which was disbanded in 2001.
Opposition leader in waiting
Natthaphong will become the next opposition leader, replacing Move Forward's Chaithawat Tulathon, who lost his seat after the Constitutional Court imposed a 10-year political ban on him and other party executives.
The new party leader has set a goal of recruiting 100,000 members and raising 10 million baht within one month. The People’s Party drew more than 30,000 members and raised almost 22 million baht in its first two days.
Winning a simple majority in the 500-member House of Representatives should guarantee the post of prime minister goes to Natthaphong, as unlike at the last election, senators will not be able to vote to select a premier.
However, the young leader has several other obstacles to clear. Natthaphong is one of 44 Move Forward MPs being investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) for allegedly undermining the monarchy by proposing amendments to Article the lese majeste law.
Former ministerial candidate
Natthaphong was born on May 18, 1987, in the southern province of Songkhla as the fourth child of real-estate tycoon Suchart Ruengpanyawut. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Chulalongkorn University before founding a cloud service company, Absolute Management Solutions Co Ltd.
After entering Parliament in 2019, he was re-elected last year – this time as a list MP after Move Forward won over 14 million votes to become the country’s most popular party.
His tech background made Natthaphong a leading candidate for digital economy and society minister as Move Forward sought to form a coalition government in partnership with election runner-up Pheu Thai.
However, the alliance collapsed when Pheu Thai pulled out and formed a coalition with conservative parties from the previous government.
Natthaphong’s asset declaration to the NACC last year amounted to 397.3 million baht, plus 10.1 million baht in liabilities. His assets include investments worth 82.2 million baht, four plots of land (108 million baht), and four buildings (200 million baht).
He has a reported annual income of 2.8 million baht, mainly from his salary as an MP, and annual expenses of 1.1 million baht. His wife Natthaporn has declared assets worth 5.1 million baht.
