The United Thai Nation (UTN) Party has denied that 25 of its 36 MPs are defecting to another party.
UTN secretary-general Akanat Promphan dismissed the rumoured exodus on Wednesday as baseless, saying all party MPs were elected together under the UTN banner and will keep sticking together.
He was quashing rumours circulated on TikTok that up to 25 MPs in the UTN, the third-biggest coalition party with 36 MPs, were planning to leave and are seeking to join the New Opportunity Party, founded mostly by bureaucrats.
Mr Akanat, who is also the industry minister, said the MPs continue to work with the party to realise its goals. "No one is going anywhere," he said, adding everyone is treated like family in the party.
The UTN will definitely contest the next election in less than three years' time. Although its members come from all walks of life, the party has become a successful melting pot, he added.
Everyone admires the role of party leader Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, who is also a deputy prime minister and the energy minister, Mr Akanat said.
Mr Pirapan has been accused by critics as being aloof to other party members and for keeping a low profile when it comes to his ministerial duties.
The UTN broke away from the then-ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) before last year's general election. It was founded with the blessing of former prime minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Meanwhile, the Kla Dharma Party will formally admit 20 former PPRP MPs into its fold on Thursday, according to a party source.
The 20 MPs, led by former PPRP secretary-general Capt Thamanat Prompow, are due to appear together at a press conference on Thursday to announce their membership of Kla Dharma at parliament.
The 20 MPs defected to Kla Dharma after a bitter fallout among PPRP executives, reportedly over the division of cabinet posts allocated to the PPRP, a party now in the opposition bloc.
Kla Dharma is led by Agriculture Minister Narumon Pinyosinwat, also a former PPRP heavyweight.
The source said that after the MPs are officially admitted as members, the party will revamp its board, with some of the newly enrolled MPs appointed as executives.
Capt Thamanat is expected to be named as the party's advisory chairman, while Phai Lik, the MP for Kamphaeng Phet, is tipped to become its secretary-general.
