Chalerm Ubumrung campaigns for the Pheu Thai Party in Ban Dung district in Udon Thani on April 27, 2023. (Photo: Chalerm Ubumrung Facebook account)
Veteran politician Chalerm Ubumrung has vowed to act independently in keeping the Pheu Thai Party in check after it repeatedly refused to expel him. The Pheu Thai list-MP made the pledge after a falling-out with the party that heads the government coalition. Mr. Chalerm says he’s also had enough of the Shinawatra family, especially patriarch Thaksin.
Thaksin’s daughter Paetongtarn, the Pheu Thai leader, on Wednesday deleted Mr. Chalerm from the Line group used by party MPs for sending messages that made them feel “uncomfortable”.
The trouble began when Mr. Chalerm and his son, former MP Wan Ubumrung, attended a gathering hosted by a rival candidate to Pheu Thai in a Pathum Thani local election on June 30. Some Pheu Thai members accused Mr. Wan of “fraternising” with the enemy, despite his protestations that he was just visiting with an old family friend. He has since defected to the coalition Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) led by Gen Prawit Wongsuwon.
Mr. Chalerm wants to do the same and has called on Pheu Thai to expel him so he can retain his MP seat when he moves. However, Ms. Paetongtarn says the party has no intention of purging Mr. Chalerm. She defended her decision to remove the 77-year-old former police captain from the party Line group.
“The Line group chatroom is supposed to be mainly for communicating work-related appointments to MPs,” she said. “We thought it best to drop Mr. Chalerm from the chatroom’s list of members,” she said, adding that the party did not wish to see the spat dramatized. “We stand ready to explain that we genuinely want the issue to be laid to rest once and for all,” the Pheu Thai leader said. Ms. Paetongtarn said she would no longer respond to reporters’ questions about the issue.
Along with his call to be expelled from Pheu Thai, Mr. Chalerm has threatened to spill the beans about secrets pertaining to Thaksin, Ms. Paetongtarn’s father, who is believed to be the de facto leader of Pheu Thai. Mr. Chalerm claims only he knows of these secrets. If Pheu Thai continues ignoring his demand to be purged, Mr. Chalerm said he would have no choice but to adopt a new role as an independent MP who will be critical of his own party, especially in House debates.
On Wednesday, Mr. Chalerm claimed he had “taken care of” several legal cases for Thaksin while the latter was living in self-imposed exile overseas. Thaksin fled the country in 2008, shortly before he was convicted by the Supreme Court for abusing his power while serving as prime minister, in connection with the sale of prime land by a state agency to his then-wife for a low price.
“Between me and Thaksin we owe each other absolutely nothing. But it would be fun if we could have a face-to-face debate,” Mr. Chalerm said during a press conference on Wednesday at his lavish home in Bang Bon district of Bangkok.
Mr. Chalerm, an exceedingly wealthy former police captain, has been in politics for more than four decades and has held senior positions in numerous governments, including deputy prime minister under Yingluck Shinawatra.
Bang Bon has long been the Ubumrung family’s political fiefdom, but when Mr. Wan ran for election in May last year, Move Forward newcomer Rukchanok Srinork trounced him by more than 20,000 votes.
Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai declined to comment on Mr. Chalerm’s latest move, saying he wished the media would stop fussing over the matter.
Chalerm is just stirring up trouble because he knows he’s losing relevance. Pheu Thai should have expelled him ages ago!
Totally agree, Jane! He’s just a bitter old man who wants to stay in the spotlight.
But don’t forget, Chalerm has a long history in Thai politics. He’s seen and been through a lot. Dismissing him entirely might be shortsighted.
Right, and what secrets does he have about Thaksin? That might change everything.
Deleting someone from a Line group chat is hardly a major issue. This is being blown out of proportion.
It’s symbolic though. It shows how Pheu Thai feels about Chalerm. They can’t outright expel him but want him sidelined.
Also, if he’s making other MPs feel uncomfortable, then that’s a problem too.
Why doesn’t Chalerm just leave already? It’s clear that Pheu Thai doesn’t want him. Move on!
This whole thing sounds too much like a soap opera. Politics should be about policy, not personal dramas.
True, but in Thailand, personal dramas often influence politics more than policies.
For better or worse, personalities often shape major political decisions everywhere, not just in Thailand.
It’s fascinating how one man’s feud can expose so many underlying issues within a party. Chalerm’s threats could have significant repercussions.
Chalerm is just trying to discredit Thaksin. Afraid that his power will diminish if Thaksin’s influence continues to rise.
Or maybe Chalerm is genuinely fed up with Thaksin hijacking the party for his own benefit. There’s always two sides to a story.
Yeah, what if Chalerm’s right about Thaksin? The party needs more transparency.
In politics, rarely is someone completely right or wrong. Both Thaksin and Chalerm might have their flaws.
Chalerm’s threats are empty. He’s bluffing because he has no other options left.
I bet he has some dirty secrets up his sleeve. You don’t stay in politics for over 40 years without some serious leverage.
Agreed. He wouldn’t be pushing this hard if he had nothing to back up his threats.
We’ll see, but I still think he’s trying to create drama for attention.
Isn’t it amazing how people care more about this nonsense than actual policies affecting them?
In the end, it’s the people of Thailand who suffer when their leaders are embroiled in such infighting.
Chalerm’s claim about handling Thaksin’s cases is interesting. Could he be exaggerating his involvement?
Politicians always exaggerate. It’s hard to take these kinds of statements at face value.
If Chalerm goes independent, it might shake things up in the parliament. Could be good or bad depending on his agenda.
Whether you love or hate Chalerm, you’ve got to admit he knows how to keep things interesting.
I don’t trust any of them. It’s all about power and money, not serving the people.
Well, politics everywhere seems messy. But hopefully, transparency will help in the long run.
Agreed. Maybe this drama will force some more transparency within Pheu Thai.
It’s ironic how Chalerm wants to be expelled to keep his MP seat. Shows how political maneuvers often have more layers than we see.
Pheu Thai’s strategy seems off. Keeping Chalerm only causes more issues. Just let him go.
Chalerm might have a few tricks up his sleeve. I wouldn’t underestimate him just yet.
Agreed. He has survived in politics for decades for a reason.