BANGKOK • Former central bank governor Chatumongkol Sonakul was picked to lead the new Action for Coalition for Thailand (ACT) party yesterday but the retired 75-year-old told The Sunday Times: "I'm not actually actively leading the party as such, day to day."

Most of the spotlight during the intra-party election fell on former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who led the massive demonstrations in downtown Bangkok in 2014 that paralysed the Pheu Thai Party-led government and triggered a military coup.