Strained ties over deputy speaker role
The selection is required after Pheu Thai's Pichet Chuamuangphan was thrown out of parliament by the Constitutional Court. Mr Pichet, who represented Chiang Rai, lost his MP status on Friday after the charter court ruled he had violated Section 144 of the Constitution by misusing state funds.
Sorawong Thienthong, the tourism and sports minister and Pheu Thai's secretary-general, said the party's MP had arranged to discuss the nomination later on Tuesday.
The party nominated Chaiya Promma, MP for Nong Bua Lam Phu and a former deputy agriculture minister, as the candidate for first deputy speaker.
The party's MPs reached the decision in a meeting ahead of the scheduled vote on Thursday.
Mr Sorawong expressed surprise over a social media post by Klatham secretary-general Phai Lik, in which he requested that his party be given the deputy speakership.
"We haven't had any discussions on this. I don't understand why Klatham felt emboldened to make such a request publicly," he said, though adding that the issue could be resolved through talks.
House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha said the deputy House speaker selection is urgent due to the need for full House leadership ahead of intense budget deliberations next Thursday and Friday.
Meanwhile, Education Minister and Klatham leader Narumon Pinyosinwat voiced frustration over the lack of consultation within the coalition, while confirming her party had long expressed its readiness to nominate a candidate.
"We've intentionally kept this issue out of the media spotlight due to ongoing national problems -- floods, economic challenges and border tensions," she said.
"But when there's no communication at all, it becomes a problem. We are coalition partners. We should be talking."
Ms Narumon warned that failure to engage in dialogue over key parliamentary roles could damage working relationships in the House.
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