Piyabutr Saengkanokkul called on the People's Party to regain focus, warning it must not merely expose wrongdoing daily to attract attention. He strongly criticized that if the party does not reflect on the reasons behind the founding of the Orange Party, there is no reason for it to continue existing.
4 May 2026 GMT+7 Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, Secretary-General of the Progressive Movement, postedon Facebookcriticizing the work of the People's Party (Popan). Among several points, he stated that whenever the party commits to investigating corruption, it must not merely act as a standout opposition or compete with other opposition parties. It should not limit itself to daily or weekly exposés aimed at gaining visibility for the party or its politicians, nor simply serve as a mouthpiece for officials who can no longer tolerate corruption or for citizens suffering from extortion and bribery. Instead, it must broaden its scope to highlight structural issues and the power relationships among capital, politicians, and officials, extending up to the top of the pyramid and the country's monopolization.
If today the party does not undertake these missions or fails to revisit the reasons for its founding, then there is no need for this party to continue. Alternatively, if the party continues, it risks becoming merely a gathering of individuals who want to engage in politics to apply their knowledge and experience to help develop the country. The party's politicians would transform into election contestants focused on consistently winning votes, while the party's experts would become technocrats patching and repairing areas they specialize in. In that case, the party would differ little from others, just presenting a fresher appearance.
Piyabutr also emphasized that unifying the party's ideas is essential. The party must discuss the reasons for its founding and collectively assess whether those reasons have diminished in importance or been resolved. If the collective conclusion is that the situation has changed and the original purpose is no longer necessary, then the party should abandon its initial direction. If the shared conclusion is that Thailand's political, economic, and social conditions remain as they have been for the past two decades, or have worsened, then the party must press forward, aiming to unite the Thai people in recognizing the urgent need for profound reform. The party should be the symbol of hope entrusted with the historic mission to achieve this reform. .