By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE KLATHAM, the ultra-conservative party steered by de facto party boss Thammanat Prompao, might probably be kept out of a Bhumjaithai-led coalition government despite hush-hush lobbyism lately exercised, according to a partisan source.
Thammanat has quietly orchestrated personal negotiations albeit to no avail whilst de facto Bhumjaithai boss Newin Chidchob has probably made up his mind over the attempted setup of a post-election government with his own party as core of the potential coalition and Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul as head of the executive branch.
Certain lobbyists and go-betweens such as the likes of Klatham leader/Education Minister Narumon Pinyosinwat and Klatham strategic director/former information technology minister Anudit Nakornthap have apparently failed to grab a deal under which their ultra-conservative party might be otherwise brought onto the Bhumjaithai-steered bandwagon, prompting Thammanat to take a vacation trip to Europe tomorrow (Feb.19).
However, Thammanat today (Feb.18) repeatedly expressed concern over the probability of the Feb.8 election being declared null and void by court, forcing the Election Commission to hold a new election due to alleged electoral rigging and irregularities in the nationwide race to parliament which reportedly showcased an untoward inequality between the total of voting ballots and that of the people who had gone to the polls as well as the contentious existence of barcodes and QR codes on the ballots.
The de facto Klatham boss said he considered the electoral rigging and irregularities scandals to be more troublesome than whether his party will be eventually brought into a Bhumjaithai-led coalition government whilst the Democrats have apparently remained non-committal toward the yet-unsettling formation of the Bhumjaithai-led government since they were not yet “invited” whilst party leader/former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had categorically insisted his Old School conservative party not be put on board the same boat as Thammanat’s party.
Without either the Klatham or the Democrats or both, the Bhumjaithai bandwagon currently musters solid support from a combined force of 296 designate-MPs attached to over a dozen parties, most of which having only one or a few designated lawmakers each, who join designate lawmakers of the Bhumjaithai and the Pheu Thai under de facto party boss/inmate Thaksin Shinawatra, among others.
The ultra-conservative Bhumjaithai with 193 designate-MPs, the reformist People’s with 118 designate-MPs and the neo-conservative Pheu Thai with 74 designate-MPs emerged as the largest, the second largest and the third largest elected parties respectively whilst the Klatham came out as the fourth largest elected with 58 designate-MPs, followed by the Democrats as the fifth largest elected with 22 designate-MPs.
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Top and Front Page – De facto Klatham boss Thammanat Prompao talking to reporters today, Feb. 18, 2026. Photos – Amarin TV
First insert – De facto Bhumjaithai boss Newin Chidchob. Photo – PPTVHD36
Second insert – Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul talking to Klatham leader/Education Minister Narumon Pinyosinwat. Photo – PPTVHD36
Also read:
Whether Klatham joins coalition bandwagon depends on de facto Bhumjaithai boss
Newin-Thammanat talk over coalition govt setup denied
Central Administrative Court accepts lawsuit over barcoded, QR coded ballots
Bhumjaithai, Pheu Thai hold talk on coalition govt setup
Election might be called null and void, given barcodes, QR codes on voting ballots
Election Commission dismisses call for recount of votes in Chonburi
Mysteriously unequal totals of constituency/party ballots reported
Some referees ‘bought’ to rig votes for rogue contestants
People’s calls for recounting of votes in 10 questionable constituencies
Recount of votes in all five constituencies of Supanburi demanded
Dozen designated People’s MPs retroactively charged with lese majeste lawsuit
Bhumjaithai scores landslide victory over People’s
Pitutecha family divided in Rayong’s constituency-based tug of war
Four ex-MPs vie against one another in Lopburi constituency
‘Big House’ contestants battle against each other in Chachoengsao
