The one-MP Thai Civilised Party has confirmed it will withdraw from the coalition but still be supportive of the government’s good policies while disapproving of any policies deemed bad.

Party leader Mongkholkit Suksintharanont claimed there were nine other parties considering leaving the coalition. A press conference had been scheduled for 2.30pm today.

He was still insistent on maintaining respect towards Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, adding: “But it is now too late for me to reverse my decision despite an offer for a position as a political appointee.”

Mongkholkit claimed the offer came to his former wife in exchange for his party remaining in the coalition, but she turned it down.

Deputy Agriculture Minister Thammanas Phromphao said on Monday that if Mongkholkit insisted on leaving the coalition despite efforts by coalition leader Palang Pracharath Party to convince him not to, he had no choice but to let Mongkholkit go.

Thammanas, a key person in handling internal deals among coalition partners, said the Thai Civilised Party’s stance on staying or leaving would be formal after the press conference today.

Thammanas said the Phalang Pracharat executive board will hold a meeting at 3pm on Tuesday, during which Prawit will be nominated as chairman of the strategy committee of the party after Prawit recently took out a membership in the party.

Thammanas said Prawit would be in charge of providing advice to the party leader, secretary general and other members.

Thammanas said the party leader and the secretary general will not be changed but the number of deputy leaders will be increased.

Thammanas added that Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has not yet decided to join the party.

It was earlier speculated that Prayut would join Phalang Pracharat and be elected the party leader.

Thammanas added that Prayut had assigned him to hold talks with the coalition’s micro-party partners, as has been speculated after Thai Civilized Party leader and MP Mongkolkitti Suksintharanon last week announced that his party and four other micro-parties would leave the coalition

Thammanas said he has held talked with the People Reform Party, the Thai Forests Conservation Party, the Thai Local Power Party and they informed him that they would not be leaving the coalition as claimed by Mongkolkitti.

Thammanas said he would hold a meeting with nine other micro-parties to check whether they would remain in the coalition.

Thammanas said the prime minister will follow up on the measures for tackling water shortage there.

As part of the measures, the Surin Army Development Corps and the Second Army Area have dug six underground wells and two more wells are planned, Thammanas said.

Energy Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong played down worries about the government’s stability after five small parties left the ruling coalition and formed their own independent opposition.

He said that political matters could be resolved through talks and exchange of opinions, and there was nothing to worry about.

Recently, Mongkolkit Suksintaranon, leader of the Thai Civilized Party, said that five small parties — Thai Civilized Party, Palung Thai Ruk Thai Party, New Democrat Party, Thai People’s Justice Party, and Thai Teachers for People Party — who together have five house seats, had decided to leave the ruling coalition and work as an independent opposition

Their decision leaves the government having the support of 246 MPs, the same number as the opposition. However, if the five independent parties join the opposition, their seat numbers will increase to 251, a simple majority in the lower house. There is growing speculation that opposition MPs may table a no-confidence motion against the government of premier Prayut Chan-o-cha, raising worries over the government’s survival.

Chatchom Akapin, director of International Affairs Department under the Office of Attorney-General, said Yingluck will still be punished for the crimes she has been charged of, regardless of her citizenship and whereabouts.

News agencies reported on Thursday that the Serbian government had announced that Yingluck had been granted a Serbian citizenship and passport.

Though Thailand and Serbia do not have any extradition deals, Thailand will proceed with a request for extradition if the whereabouts of the fugitive is known, he said, adding that corruption was a crime in both countries.

Prayut made the statement a day after telling top officials of government agencies during a policy meeting that he took complete responsibility for the flawed oath-taking ceremony.

Opponents said Prayut failed to state during the oath-taking that he would protect and comply with the provisions of the Constitution when he led his Cabinet members to be sworn in before the King.

When Prayut said on Thursday that he would take sole responsibility, it had triggered speculation that he would resign, raising the possibility of political instability.

However, on Friday, Prayut said after presiding over the opening ceremony of a new BTS station in Lat Phrao that he had no plans to step down.

“I hereby affirm that I’ll do my duty to my best because I remain the prime minister here and won’t go anywhere. Don’t worry,” Prayut said.

After he finished his speech at the opening ceremony, when reporters asked him to clarify his statement, he replied: “It means I’ll remain in the post of prime minister.”

After the opening ceremony of the Lat Phrao intersection station (N9) of the extended route of the BTS Skytrain, Prayut rode a train to the Morchit station (N8).

The BTS Skytrain would run free trial services between the two stations from 3pm on Friday. Prayut said the free trial service would continue until December 5.

Prayut was accompanied at the ceremony by Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Interior Minister General Anupong Paochinda, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration governor Aswin Kwanmuang and Mass Rapid Transit Authority governor Pakapong Sirikantaramas.

They were received by executives of Krungthep Thanakhom Co Ltd and Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc, which runs the Skytrain, as well as Italian-Thai Development Plc president Premchai Karnasuta. The Italian-Thai Development built the extended elevated train route.

Her brother, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, confirmed the reports.

News agencies in Serbia reported on Thursday that the government had announced in its Royal Gazette about Yingluck being granted citizenship and a passport by the government.

Thai diplomats in Belgrade declined to comment on the reports.

Thaksin gave an interview to BBC Thai website confirming that the reports were true.

Thaksin said he is a friend of the governments in the region. Thaksin got his citizenship and passport from Montenegro in 2010.

“I’m a friend of all of them. We always do what is useful for them,” Thaksin told BBC Thai.

The Thai passports of Yingluck and Thaksin were revoked by the government after they fled criminal sentencing to live in exile.

“We are familiar with one another. Our ties developed after they read our backgrounds and knew a lot about us. They knew we did good things for the people. They want us to come up with new, useful ideas. Since we can’t do good things for our own country, we decided to help them. But in my own country, they are using my own and expired medicine. If they need my help, they can tell me,” Thaksin was quoted as saying.

Yingluck fled across the border before the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Office read a verdict against her in the rice pledging case and the fake government-to-government rice deal case on August 25, 2017. Yingluck was sentenced by the court to five years in jail for dereliction of duty.

Initially, Yingluck went to stay with Thaksin in the United Arab Emirates.

When Yingluck’s passport was revoked in October 2017, Thaksin gave an interview to BBC Thai that he anticipated the junta would resort to the measure to deal with him and his sister but he was prepared for it.

In May 2018, a source close to Yingluck said she had got a passport from a European country and she was staying in England after she got a 10-year visa.

On July 2019, the Thai Foreign Ministry sent a formal letter to the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, seeking Yingluck’s extradition.

During his first official meeting with heads of government agencies on Thursday, Prayut apologised to his Cabinet members over the oath wording and said he would take sole responsibility.

Prayut’s move was seen as a tacit admittance that he had failed to complete the oath wording as required by the constitution. His opponents said he failed to say during the oath taking that he would protect and comply with the charter.

Varawut said he is not worried about the issue “because the prime minister will survive this storm and the government boat will survive the storm.

“This government doesn’t depend on a particular minister but all rowers must row in the same direction. If the captain steering the boat survives, we all will.”

Speaking about the announcement by five micro coalition partners that they would function as independent opposition parties, Varawut said there was probably a misunderstanding.

Thai Civilized Party leader Mongkolkit Suksintharanonn announced Thursday that his and four other micro parties would pull out of the coalition out of dissatisfaction that they were being ignored by the coalition leaders. Each of the micro parties has one House seat.

Giving an interview to reporters on Thursday, Ittipol said he so far has no plan to reshuffle senior officials of his ministry apart from filling the vacant seats of retiring officials.

He said Anan will retire on September 30 and he would first consider senior officials of the Fine Arts Department to replace him because the post will need a person with expertise in archeology, arts and culture while the new chief would also need to coordinate with foreign agencies such as Unesco.

“The post of Fine Arts director general is an important one. My decision will be based on the principles of human resources management and based on my policies,” Ittipol said.

“The selection will be based on the good governance principle and ability and experience. But I don’t have any particular person in mind.”

Ittipol said that since taking office a month ago, he has been studying how top executives of his ministry have been working as well as their backgrounds.

Ittipol said the Culture Ministry will have to coordinate more with other government agencies in both economic and social affairs.

“So, I will consider the ability of the executives to adapt to various tasks. But so far, I have no plan to reshuffle them because top executives of the Culture Ministry are united and have potential,” Ittipol said.

Ittipol said he may appoint specialists, such as national artists and experts in arts of various fields as his advisers.

He said he would also appoint some advisers from his party to work for the best interests of the public.

The Cabinet meeting will focus on the implementation and follow up of policies by the Prayut II government for the group of upper northeastern provinces, the source said.

Prayut would dispatch ministers to visit neighbouring provinces to hear the complaints of local residents.

The source said the first meeting of the Council of Economic Ministers will be postponed from August 19 to August 21.