Two founding members of Palang Pracharath Party resign, bid farewell to Prawit

Founding PPRP members Utama and Sonthirat resign, citing political uncertainty and loss of confidence in the party’s direction.

Two founding members of the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), now in opposition, have officially resigned from the party and said their goodbyes to party leader General Prawit Wongsuwan.

Utama and Sonthirat Step Down Amid Political Uncertainty

Utama Savanayon, former finance minister, and Sonthirat Sonthijirawong, former commerce and energy minister, have both stepped down from their roles as members of the PPRP. According to party sources, the two personally met with Gen Prawit to bid farewell. The PPRP leader reportedly wished them well in their future political endeavours.

Insiders revealed that the decision was driven by growing concerns over political uncertainties and a lack of confidence in the party’s current direction.Founding Figures Behind PPRP’s Formation and Rise

Utama and Sonthirat played crucial roles in the establishment of the Palang Pracharath Party. At the time of its formation, both made it clear that the party’s objective was to serve as a political platform for 2014 coup leader Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha to remain in power as prime minister after the 2019 general election.

Utama served as the party’s leader, while Sonthirat held the position of secretary-general. Together, they successfully attracted several high-profile politicians to join the newly formed party ahead of the post-coup election.

PPRP’s Electoral Success and Coalition Politics

Despite finishing second in terms of House seats in the 2019 election, the PPRP was able to form a coalition government with the backing of the Senate, as permitted by the post-coup constitution. This enabled them to secure Prayut’s return as prime minister.

However, as the political landscape shifted, Prayut left the PPRP to join the United Thai Nation Party (UTNP) for the 2023 general election. Both the PPRP and UTNP suffered defeats but were still invited to join the Pheu Thai-led coalition government under Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.

Departure Follows PPRP’s Decline in Influence

The PPRP was eventually removed from the coalition when the Paetongtarn Shinawatra government was formed, further signalling its diminishing influence in national politics.

At the time of their resignation, Utama served as deputy party leader and chair of the policy committee, while Sonthirat held roles as deputy leader and chief of the policy and academic centre.

(2025/05/13-00:00)