The New Economics Party (NEP) () is a political party in Thailand founded in March 2018 by Supadit Arkartruek.
The party first gained parliamentary representation in the 2019 general election, securing 6 seats through the party-list system. Initially, NEP joined the opposition bloc, but later shifted to support the governing coalition.
History The New Economics Party was registered on March 2, 2018, and formally approved by the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) on November 6, 2018.
In 2019, the party nominated Mingkwan Saengsuwan as its prime ministerial candidate, and its platform focused on economic reforms and social stability.
Election results Election Total seats won Popular vote Share of votes Outcome of election Election leader 2019 485,664 1.34% Entered Parliament — initially in opposition, later joined governing coalition Mingkwan Saengsuwan 2023 N/A N/A Lost all seats, no parliamentary representation Manoon Sivapiromrat
Leadership + List of party leaders No. Name Term start Term end Notes 1 Supadit Arkartruek March 2018 January 2019 Founding leader 2 Mingkwan Saengsuwan January 2019 May 2019 Resigned after election 3 Manoon Sivapiromrat December 2021 Present Current leader
Policies and Ideology The NEP promotes economic liberalism and social conservatism, advocating for: Pro-business policies to attract foreign investment Welfare programs for low-income citizens Judicial reforms to enhance public trust in institutions
Controversies In 2020, internal disputes arose when some MPs voted against opposition-backed motions, leading to accusations of backdoor deals with the ruling coalition. This conflict contributed to the resignation of Mingkwan Saengsuwan.
References
External links Official Facebook Page [Archived Website](https://web.archive.org/web/20190215030533/https://www.nep.or.th/)