Vice Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office Seksakol Atthawong, alias “Rambo Isan”, has quit the ruling Palang Pracharat party, reportedly to join the Ruamthai Sarngchart party.

The outspoken vice minister, formerly a core member of the red-shirt movement, submitted his resignation letter to the party on January 27th without giving a reason for his departure.

The ruling party, led by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, has seen dozens of its MPs and members leave recently, including a group of 21 MPs, led by former deputy agriculture minister Thammanat Prompao, who were sacked from the party last month allegedly for making an unacceptable demand of the party.

In mid-January, Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, a maverick activist and an aggressive scrutineer of alleged misconduct by government and ministers, resigned from the Palang Pracharat party after only about eight months as a member, claiming that he could not work freely in the party and was unable to investigate alleged irregularities in the performance of the party, or Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in particular.

Last week, Porapol Adireksarn, a political advisor to Seksakol, has quit the party, reportedly at the persuasion of Seksakol.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service