Agriculture Minister Narumon re-elected Klatham Party leader

Agriculture Minister Narumon Pinyosinwat has been re-elected as leader of the Klatham Party, while Kamphaeng Phet MP Phai Lik secured the role of secretary-general. Party advisor Thamanat Prompow emphasised Klatham’s independence, highlighting recent PAO election victories.

Agriculture Minister Narumon Pinyosinwat has been re-elected as leader of the Klatham Party, while an aide to party patriarch Thamanat Prompow secured the post of party secretary-general.

The Klatham Party held its annual caucus at the Golden Tulip Sovereign Hotel Bangkok on Monday to elect a new 25-member executive board.

Party members re-elected incumbent leader Narumon and elected Kamphaeng Phet MP Phai Lik as the new party secretary-general. Ratchaburi MP Boonying Nitikanchana was elected as party treasurer, while Chachoengsao MP Atthakorn Sirilatthayakorn was appointed party registrar.

The Klatham Party is dominated by former Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) MPs loyal to Thamanat, the former PPRP secretary-general.

Thamanat and his faction were expelled from the PPRP following conflicts with PPRP leader General Prawit Wongsuwan. While the main PPRP was removed from the Pheu Thai-led coalition government, Thamanat’s faction remained a coalition partner.

Initially, it was speculated that Thamanat would lead his faction to join Pheu Thai. However, instead, the faction aligned itself with the Klatham Party, which had previously been joined and led by Narumon.

Narumon was originally a PPRP party-list MP but resigned to become the government spokeswoman in the Prayut Chan-o-cha administration. She left the PPRP in September and became the Klatham Party leader on 6 August 2024, replacing Chawengsak Jaikham.

In a speech to the party caucus before the election, Thamanat, who holds the ceremonial post of chief party advisor, asserted that the Klatham Party was not a branch of any other party.

He stated that the party had its own political strength and influence, as demonstrated by its success in winning several Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) presidencies.

Thamanat boasted that the Klatham Party had won the PAO elections in Nong Bua Lamphu and Samut Sakhon. He explained that although the Samut Sakhon winner, Jessada Yanpraphasiri, had contested the election as an independent candidate, he would soon formally join the Klatham Party.

He added that the Klatham Party had supported Jessada behind the scenes to secure his victory.

(2025/02/03-00:00)