Thai Rak Thai Party spokesman Sita Divari gestures while meeting a group of Ramkhamhaeng University students who came to air their disappointment with him, at the TRT headquarters yesterday.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday threatened to dissolve the House of Representatives if too many MPs from the ruling party failed to toe the line.

“The current political confusion is caused by a lack of understanding in the government. All of us should help support the government,” Thaksin told a gathering of Thai Rak Thai MPs at the party’s headquarters.

“If a small number of us fail to toe the line, I’m sure the administration will be able to go ahead with no problems. But if a lot of us fail to [support the government], I will have to dissolve the House,” he said.

“People who don’t want to stay can go. I have candidates to replace them,” Thaksin said.

He assured dissident party MPs that he would allow them the minimum 90 days required to become members of a new party if they opted to defect.

“The 375 of us should not join the opposite side to damage the party. We should stay together until the next general election. Whoever wants to leave for a new party should let me know and I’ll arrange for them to move in time,” Thaksin said.

“I can assure you that I won’t call a snap election to prevent [dissident MPs] from contesting the election. But don’t betray us.”

By law, election candidates must have been a member of a political party for at least 90 days in order to contest the poll under that party’s banner.

Thaksin told Thai Rak Thai MPs gathered for a meeting at the party’s head office that despite efforts to overthrow his government, he would not become so discouraged that he would step down easily.

Senior party figures later took turns defending Thaksin against criticism and allegations involving his family’s recent sell-off of shares in the telecom giant Shin Corp.