Member of the House of Representatives Pita aspired to become a politician since he was in his 20s. He became a member of the
Future Forward Party following an invitation from the party leader
Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. He ran as a candidate in the
2019 general election and was elected as the fourth party-list representative for his party in the
House of Representatives. In July 2019, Pita gave a speech in the House of Representatives about the "Five-Button Theory." This theory highlighted the need for government focus on key agricultural policies, including land ownership, farmers' debts, cannabis, agro-tourism, and water resources. His speech, notable for transcending party lines, received commendation from Interior Minister
Anupong Paochinda. Following the dissolution of the Future Forward Party by the
Constitutional Court on 21 February 2020, Pita was chosen as the leader of the
Move Forward Party, second incarnation and successor of Future Forward Party. He, along with 54 former members of parliament from the disbanded party, joined this new party. Pita's formal
election as the leader of the Move Forward Party occurred on 14 March 2020. He would later describe himself as the “
designated survivor” to lead the new party. During the
COVID-19 pandemic, Pita criticised the government for a "systematic failure of the entire
vaccine value chain" starting from the initial vaccine procurement strategy. In October 2021, he confirmed he would be the party's nominee for prime minister after the next general election.
2023 general election following the
2023 general election, 18 May 2023 Pita, leading the Move Forward Party, achieved a notable victory in the
2023 general election, securing the most seats (151). Pita's goal was to win 160 out of the 400 constituency seats. This outcome was unexpected for many, as the
Pheu Thai party was widely anticipated to be the frontrunner. Following this victory, on 15 May 2023, Pita expressed his readiness to assume the role of prime minister. As no party commanded a majority, a coalition would have to be formed in order to elect the next prime minister. Move Forward and other parties believed Pita had commanded a mandate to lead the next government, as his party had won the most seats in the election. He reached out to the Pheu Thai Party and several smaller pro-democracy parties, proposing the formation of a
coalition government. On 22 May, Pita and his coalition partners held a press conference, where they focused on key issues such as drafting a new constitution through the
constituent assembly, implementing military reforms, introducing voluntary conscription, legalizing
same-sex marriage, and decentralizing the
economy. Pita also mentioned that his campaign strategies were inspired by
Barack Obama's
2008 U.S. presidential campaign. However, despite the coalition's majority in the House of Representatives, Pita needed the support of both elected MPs and unelected
senators, who were appointed by the previous
military junta, to be officially elected as prime minister. On 9 June, the
Election Commission (EC) dismissed three complaints against Pita concerning his ownership of
iTV, a television broadcaster and a unit of
Shin Corporation, previously owned by
Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister then in exile. The constitution prohibits shareholders of media organizations from participating in general elections. Instead of pursuing these complaints, the EC initiated a criminal investigation to determine if Pita knowingly violated election eligibility rules, specifically sections of the organic law on the election of MPs. Pita stated that he inherited the iTV shares from his father's estate. iTV had ceased broadcasting in 2007 and was removed from the
Stock Exchange of Thailand in 2014. According to Pita, the company hadn't produced significant media-related income for years, except for minor earnings from a subsidiary involved in broadcasting equipment rental. On 27 June, he announced having sufficient support from the military-appointed Senate to secure the position of prime minister.
Attempts to form a government shopping plaza in
Bangkok on 9 July 2023. Following the general election and subsequent coalition announcement, the
House of Representatives held its first session on 5 July to select a Speaker,
Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, founder of the coalition-member party, the
Prachachat Party. In the days preceding the premiership vote, Pita and the MFP party held rallies with supporters in Bangkok. Pita appealed to the assembly to support his government, in accordance with the mandate granted by the people in the general election. On 12 July, the Constitutional Court said it had accepted a complaint against Pita and the Move Forward Party by the Election Commission, that said its plan to reform
lèse-majesté laws amounted to an attempt to "overthrow the democratic regime of government with the king as a head of state". The Commission referred Pita for disqualification as an MP; Pita called the process unfair, and said he wasn't allowed to defend himself before the decision. The day before the parliamentary vote, Pita warned assembly members that there would be a "high price" if his premiership was denied. On 13 July the
National Assembly convened to elect a new prime minister. Initially nominated by
Pheu Thai leader
Chonlanan Srikaew, Pita was the only member of the assembly to be put forward. Despite securing a majority-coalition in the lower house, Pita was unable to win enough votes from the assembly in the first ballot, particularly the 250 members of the
Senate, appointed by the
National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) in May 2019, to become the country's next prime minister. 324 members of the National Assembly voted to approve Pita's premiership (311 of which were MPs and 13 of which were junta-appointed senators), 182 disapproved and 199 abstained. Of the 705 votes, Pita fell 51 votes short of a majority, as he required 375 votes in order to be appointed prime minister. Subsequent protests occurred in the evening following the vote; the voting system was criticized for being undemocratic, and contradictory to the mandate given by the people. The failure of the National Assembly to produce a prime minister led to Thai stocks underperforming. The newspaper
Khaosod described the vote as a 'trap set in advance.' Despite this, Pita said he would still pursue the role of prime minister, and would not back down on his promise to reform the lèse-majesté law. , 3 July 2023. Protests continued, with many demanding that the senators resign. On July 15, Pita announced his coalition had agreed to put his name forward for the next round of voting, but also said he was ready to allow a member of the Pheu Thai party to be nominated if his second bid were to be unsuccessful, or if he would be unable to gain significantly more votes than the previous ballot. On 19 July the National Assembly convened to elect a new prime minister for a second time following the general election. On the same day, the Constitutional Court unanimously voted to accept a case against Pita regarding his inherited shares of the defunct iTV. They also voted 7–2 to suspend him from MP duty until it reached a ruling, but it not preclude him from being nominated for prime minister. During the assembly proceedings, Pita announced he would acknowledge the decision, and left the chamber. Despite being the largest party in the opposition Pita stated he did not have intentions to assume the role as leader of the opposition. Pita's reasoning was that he intended to become prime minister and that the PM position was simply a role to expand Thai democracy. Pita remained under suspension as an MP, but initially signaled his support for a
Pheu Thai party PM candidate. On 2 August 2023,
Move Forward and Pheu Thai split, as Pheu Thai pulled out of the original coalition to form one of their own. The Pheu Thai party pulled back on their election pledge to not join with pro-junta parties, and the Move Forward party refused to rescind their own election pledge to reform the
lèse-majesté law.On 22 August, Pheu Thai candidate
Srettha Thavisin won the
2nd prime ministership election in the
National Assembly of Thailand. All present (149) MFP members voted against Srettha's bid for prime minister. Following Srettha's election as prime minister, Pita gave him a congratulatory phone call. Speaking of Pheu Thai's alliance with military-backed parties to form a government, Pita said he would ‘forgive but won't forget.’ On 20 August 2023, Pita began campaigning for the Move Forward party in the run-up to the
by-election in Constituency 3 of
Rayong province, which was contested by the Move Forward, Democrat and Nation Building Labour party, following the resignation of the Move Forward MP elected there. MFP's candidate, Pongsathorn Sornpetnarin, won the election on 10 September. On 15 September 2023, Pita announced his resignation as Leader of the
Move Forward Party. He cited his inability to perform duties in the House, pending a ruling regarding his suspension status as an MP in the
Constitutional Court, hindering his ability to become the Leader of the Opposition. In his announcement, Pita stressed the importance of the position of Leader of the Opposition, and said it must provide "checks and balance" to the government. He reiterated he would remain active in Thai politics and the party, regardless of his role. Pita said that Move Forward would select a new leader to replace him on 23 September, who would lead the party and the opposition in the
House of Representatives. He was replaced by Secretary-General
Chaithawat Tulathon as party leader. Chaithawat said his leadership was part of "temporary restructure", and said he would be "willing to step down once Pita resumes the position as an MP in the parliament again". During his suspension, Pita criticized the system of government in Thailand, considering his inability to become prime minister un-democratic. Pita embarked on a visit to the United States in October 2023 to discuss the political situation in Thailand. He spoke at various universities, and met with government officials from
Australia, New Zealand, and the US. Most notably, he returned to the
Harvard Kennedy School, and spoke with students interested in politics about his experience. He cited his work at Harvard partially for his ability to win the election, but criticized the political establishment for blocking him from power. He also received an honorary master's degree and lectured about Thailand and
ASEAN at the Harvard Asia Center. He also spoke at
MIT. Earlier he met with the
Thai diaspora and was honored at the
TIME 100 Next gala in
New York City. In the wake of sexual harassment scandals within Move Forward, Pita said he was disappointed and urged the party to adopt more stricter ethic codes. He also apologized to the victims and reiterated Chaithawat's responsibility as party leader. Speaking with
AP News in January 2024, he described his political career as a “roller coaster”, but also believed his suspension was a detour. Pita believed he still had the legitimacy to lead Thailand, and predicted it could be two to three years before the next election depending on the government's performance. Pita criticized the
Srettha government's
digital wallet scheme, calling it “old fashioned”. On Srettha's premiership, Pita argued his administration should be given more time to prove its ability to lead, while also recommending adjustments in policy. He was accused by the Election Commission of holding stocks in a media company and therefore violating Thailand's election laws; the argument being that Pita knowingly applied to run for office in 2019 and 2023 while holding stake in a media company. The defunct 42,000 iTV media shares in questions were inherited from his father after he died, and the company had been defunct since before the election in 2007. The shares had since been transferred to his relatives. Pita welcomed the opportunity to present evidence to the court, and said he was not worried. That same day, the court announced it would deliver its verdict at 2:00 PM on 24 January 2024. After more than 30 minutes of reading the verdict, the Constitutional Court cleared Pita of any wrongdoing, allowing him to return to Parliament. While addressing the press outside the court, Pita said he hoped to return to the legislature “as soon as possible”. Upon being reinstated as an MP, Pita set to work in his capacities in the party and in the House, officially returning to the Parliament the next day on 25 January, notably wearing the same
tie he wore on the day of his suspension. He outlined Move Forward's six goals for the country the following day, which included a proposed amnesty bill for criminal cases that were political in nature. Pita announced a total of 47 draft bills set to be introduced into the legislature, which included policies for military reforms, quality of life, and rural development. He also dismissed allegations that the party was not doing enough to scrutinize the government. During his policy outline, Pita did not mention reforming the lèse-majesté law, which drew criticism from former Future Forward Party officials. Shortly after his suspension was lifted, Pita met with German president
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, during his visit to Thailand in January 2024. Steinmeier commended the decision of the Court to clear Pita, saying it was a sign of democratic progress in the country. When interviewed by
Harvard International Review in February, Pita warned the Senate may try to cling to power beyond their terms. In March 2024, Pita represented Thailand at the
Inter-Parliamentary Union summit and joined the International Parliamentary Network for Education. He addressed issues such as climate change and the importance of inclusivity in societies. On 5 February, in another separate case, Pita and seven other progressive politicians were given four-month suspended prison sentences from the
Pathum Wan Municipal District Court in Bangkok, over an unlawful rally that was held in December 2019. Although their sentence was suspended for the next two years, he was ordered to pay an 11,200 baht fine. He appealed the verdict. If the appeal failed, it had the potential to disqualify him from the Parliament. In late December, Chaithawat said he would be ready to resign as party leader were Pita to be acquitted, believing most party members would support Pita for the position at the party's upcoming general meeting in April 2024. When asked if he will return to party leadership, Pita stated it would be decided at the April meeting. In January, Chaithawat confirmed the party meeting would take place in late April. Although a general meeting of the party did occur on 6 April, no leadership election was held, and Chaithawat remained as
opposition leader. The party continued to insist that Pita's candidacy as a nominee for prime minister remained intact. In February 2024 MFP spokesperson
Parit Wacharasindhu stated Pita was still eligible for the position if he were to be acquitted on any charges he was currently facing. In May 2024, Chaithawat said the party would be ready to re-nominate Pita for the role of prime minister were Srettha Thavisin to be removed in a “political accident.” During a pride parade in Bangkok in June 2024, Pita reiterated that not only was he ready to take over as prime minister were he to be nominated but the party was also ready for an election “at any time”.
Dissolution of the Move Forward Party in December 2023. Simultaneously, Pita and the entire Move Forward Party were involved in another court case, in which they were accused via a petition of attempting to overthrow the monarchy of Thailand. The Constitutional Court considered a petition which argued that the party's attempt to reform the lese-majeste law amounted to an attempt to overthrow the monarchy. If found guilty, the party may be dissolved, although in late December, when summoned to the court, Pita rejected that possibility. Additionally, MFP leader Chaithawat Tulathon believed that their proposal to amend Section 112 of the Criminal Code was not a breach of the law or Section 49 of the Constitution. The original petitioner stated he was attempting to block a “violation” of the royal institution, and was not intending for his case to dissolve the Move Forward party. In the days preceding the ruling, Pita reiterated the policy's legality. By December, both Pita and Chaithawat were interviewed in preparation for the court's decision. The judges met at 9:30 AM on 31 January to confer their individual decisions. Move Forward was not physically present at the court for the verdict, opting to watch from a conference room at the Parliament building; Pita and Chaithawat arrived at around 1:50 PM, and were once again swarmed by reporters. The court began reading the verdict at 2:14 PM. The ruling effectively ended any national attempts to amend lèse majesté. The verdict makes it possible for the Election Commission to ask for the party's dissolution, which could also lead to Pita and other party executives being banned from politics for up to 10 years. Pita believed the case damaged
free speech and the health of Thai democracy, while Chaithawat stated the ruling changed the definition of a
constitutional monarchy.
CNA described the ruling as a “gag order”, and reported that some Move Forward MPs believed it would just be a matter of time before a petition would be filed to dissolve the party. Immediately after the verdict, the party was hit with numerous complaints seeking its dissolution under Article 92 of the Thai Constitution. In a February interview, he vowed to ‘fight tooth and nail’ for the party's survival. The
Election Commission officially asked the
Constitutional Court to disband the party on 12 March. The petition was accepted by the Constitutional Court on 3 April 2024.
Human Rights Watch described the case as a “political battering ram.” Pita would later describe the dissolution effort by the court as a "judicial
soft-coup: and an attack on democracy. with arguments not taking place until 2 June. In an interview with the
Financial Times during a June trip to Seoul, Pita said the party was seeking “proportionality of [the] law between protection of the monarchy as well as freedom of speech”. He also warned the dissolution of the party would only “turbocharge” calls for reform. Pita continued to criticize the Pheu Thai party, and believed some of their voters would be unable to trust them by the next election. On 4 June, the party submitted its rebuttal statement to the court. The Election Commission again emphasized that they were seeking a 10-year ban on all executive party members, including Pita. He accused the Court of “overreaching” and called a ban on the party a “disproportionate” response to MFP's efforts to reform royal insult laws. He warned that getting rid of the country's largest opposition party would constitute “an attack on democracy”. Pita continued to lay out the party's nine-point defense plan in various press conferences, and argued the Court had no jurisdiction over party dissolutions. Like in the past Constitutional Court cases involving Pita and the party, the party dissolution verdict was continuously postponed for months. Evidence and testimony was filed with the court throughout June and July. Despite being under the threat of dissolution, Pita and the party enjoyed high popularity ratings among the public. He later spoke at the Regional Conference on Climate Resilience of Southeast Asia. During that same month he accused the Constitutional Court of ‘double standards’. On 17 July, the court set a date for the verdict in the dissolution case for 7 August 2024. Pita remained confident in the days and weeks leading up the verdict, believing judicial precedent would help the party's case. In an interview with
Reuters on 26 July, he said the party could avoid dissolution on the basis of a technicality. He compared possibly dissolving Move Forward to effectively ‘dissolving the opposition’ in Thai democracy. In early August, Pita dismissed speculation that the Move Forward party had already set up a ‘reserve’ party, in case it were to be dissolved by the court. Despite this, key figures within the party said they had made “preparations to regroup under the banner of another party” in the case of dissolution, according to the
Bangkok Post. He warned of instability were the verdict not to be in the party's favor, warning that Srettha's premiership and the stability of the Thai economy could be put in jeopardy. (Srettha would later be dismissed as prime minister on 14 August in a separate case overseen by the Court.) On 1 August he penned an opinion piece in
The Economist in an attempt to explain his position on the case to an international audience; the following day he met with diplomats from 18 countries, including the
United States,
United Kingdom,
Japan and the
European Union. Pita predicted that were Move Forward to be dissolved following a court ruling, its successor would win in a landslide at the next elections. He also believed that there was a possibility he would become Prime Minister by 2027. The party had invited the public to their headquarters in the Hua Mak district of Bangkok to listen to the ruling live. He arrived at the court at 2:25 PM. The verdict reading began at 3:00 PM and on 7 August 2024, the party was dissolved and Pita, along with other senior party executives, was banned from politics for 10 years.
Suspension from politics The verdict was condemned by the United States, European Union and other nations. Shortly after the verdict was delivered, Pita returned to party headquarters for a final press conference. He stated that he was proud of what the party had been able to achieve and that he "had no regrets". Pita vowed that the decision would not mean the end of his own political career, and that the party would continue under a 'new vehicle'. He also said he would continue to engage in politics as a private citizen. In a Tweet sent out the same day, Pita stated "It was the greatest honor in my life to have the opportunity to serve my country and its people as a politician. It will be a memory I will never forget. Thank you." Before Move Forward was dissolved, Supisarn Bhakdinarinath, a deputy leader within the party, stated that a new executive board for a new party was ready to be established, potentially on the same day as the verdict, were the party to be dissolved. He named
Sirikanya Tansakun, as the presumed leader of this new hypothetical party, billing her as a counterweight to Pheu Thai leader
Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Sirikanya was also described as a “consensus candidate” among the party. Before the verdict was announced, Pita also threw his support behind Sirikanya, calling her “quite an accomplished economist” and a “great candidate.”
Parit Wacharasindhu was reported as a possible leader to succeed Pita and Chaithawat as early as April 2024, due to his speaking style and public appeal. On 9 August, the
People's Party was founded as a direct successor to the dissolved Move Forward Party. All 143 MPs who remained in the Parliament after the dissolution joined the new party, making it the largest opposition party in the House of Representatives. Pita threw his support behind the party and its new leader,
Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, who was elected unopposed. == Post-political career ==