Emerging from the EC headquarters, Mr. Wan stated that his resignation was prompted by a summons from the Pheu Thai Party to explain his presence at the Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) chairman election in Pathum Thani after the polls closed on June 30.
During the PAO election, Mr. Wan was seen meeting with Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit Toopkrajang. Kamronwit, a candidate for the PAO chairman seat, ran under the Khon Rak Pathum (Love Pathum) party banner and is a close friend of the Ubumrung family. His candidacy was unsuccessful, losing to Pheu Thai’s Charn Phuangphet by a margin of less than 2,000 votes. Mr. Wan’s gesture of sympathy towards Kamronwit did not sit well with the Pheu Thai leadership, leading them to demand an explanation.
Summoned by the party executives and leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra on July 9, Mr. Wan defended his actions, explaining that he saw nothing wrong in expressing compassion to Kamronwit, who has had historical ties with former premier Thaksin Shinawatra—an important figure for Pheu Thai. He pointed out that his meeting with Kamronwit occurred after the polls had closed, thus having no bearing on the election results.
“It never crossed my mind that what I did was so wrong, despite my apologies,” Mr. Wan said, expressing his disbelief at the party’s harsh stance. “I initially had no intention of quitting the party when I walked into the July 9 meeting. However, the executives’ dissatisfaction was clear, and I felt there was no way to stay.”
Mr. Wan also took the opportunity to reflect on the party’s overall electoral performance. He noted that his own loss in last year’s general election in Bangkok’s Bang Bon constituency to the Move Forward Party (MFP) mirrored the fate of nearly all Pheu Thai candidates in the capital, except one out of 33 constituencies. “The party needs to reflect on its poll performance and not just focus on my situation,” he asserted.
Furthermore, Mr. Wan speculated that the party might no longer consider him an asset due to his electoral defeat. However, he expressed hopes that the party would consider removing his father, Pol Capt Chalerm Ubumrung, from his list MP position, allowing him to retain his MP status and defect to another party if he so wished.
As for his future political career, Mr. Wan admitted he is open to offers from other parties, hinting at his ongoing close ties with Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul.
In response, Ms. Paetongtarn Shinawatra indicated that the matter with Mr. Wan was resolved. “There’s nothing more to it,” she said. She expressed regret over his departure but respected his decision. She also clarified that the party had no intentions of expelling Pol Capt Chalerm, maintaining that no such policy existed at Pheu Thai.
And so, the curtains close on Wan Ubumrung’s chapter with Pheu Thai, leaving the next steps in his political journey an open question. As he navigates through these turbulent waters, the political landscape watches closely, anticipating his next move.
I think Wan Ubumrung did what any decent human being would do by showing compassion to a friend. It’s sad that politics can’t accommodate basic human kindness.
Compassion is great and all, but loyalty to your party should come first. Pheu Thai has every right to be concerned about his actions.
But where is the line drawn? Must politicians always be robots to be ‘loyal’?
Exactly, Nuch. This kind of rigidity kills the human aspect of politics. People need to realize there’s more to life than party lines.
Wan Ubumrung should have known better. Politics is a game of perception and his actions could easily be misinterpreted.
Misinterpretation should not override the reality of the situation. He met with Kamronwit after polls closed; it didn’t affect any outcome.
This just shows how broken Thai politics is. Everyone is so fixated on alliances that they forget about genuine human interactions.
It’s more complex than that, Siri. Political alliances are what hold parties together. It’s not that simple.
Nothing is ever simple, but when you sacrifice core human values for political gains, you lose more in the long run.
Pheu Thai seems to be falling apart. If they can’t hold onto their own members, how are they going to convince the public to trust them?
Every party goes through rough patches. This is just a blip on the radar; they’ll bounce back.
I feel bad for Wan Ubumrung. He was just being a good friend and now his political career might be in jeopardy.
But he also needs to be strategic. Being a good friend is fine, but he knew it would cause issues.
Politics is like a soap opera! Who needs TV dramas when real life is this entertaining?
True that! But real life consequences make it much more serious.
I wonder if Paetongtarn Shinawatra had a personal vendetta against Wan. This seems a little too harsh for just showing compassion.
Probably not. It’s more likely the party wanted to make an example out of him, to keep others in line.
Can anyone tell me more about this Bhumjaithai Party? Is it a good move for Wan to join them?
Bhumjaithai is known for being more pragmatic than ideological. Wan might find it easier to navigate there.
I think this scandal will blow over soon. Pheu Thai has bigger worries than a single member showing kindness.
Pheu Thai is shooting itself in the foot. Wan’s departure might start a domino effect of defections.
Wan Ubumrung is taking a huge risk by leaving Pheu Thai. Let’s see if this gamble pays off.
Why is compassion so controversial in politics? It’s sad to see human decency being vilified.
Pol Capt Chalerm should consider stepping down if it benefits the party. Sometimes sacrifice is needed for the greater good.
Interesting read! I’m curious to see how this situation will impact the upcoming elections. Could be a game-changer.
Pheu Thai should focus more on their electoral performance rather than internal disputes.
Good point. Putting out internal fires might distract them from the bigger picture.