"I call on Banharn to screen people and pay attention to quality not quantity or it will be the same old problem facing Chat Thai. Banharn earlier said Chat Thai was a small party rather than a large one with many factions," he said.

Chuwit said Banharn had to admit that if he accepted factions from Thai Rak Thai, they would become factions within Chat Thai. As such, if Chat Thai was able to form a government, the factions would then use their collective strength to demand ministerial posts.

Chuwit's call came as Banharn was having lunch with leaders of factions which had defected - or were about to defect - from Thai Rak Thai, including Pinij Charusombat, leader of Wang Phaya Nak, Suchart Tancharoen and Sonthaya Kunplome and a representative of Somsak Thepsuthin.

A source said Banharn had not agreed to accept all factions into his party but would select them on a case by case basis. He also wanted to wait for the result of the party dissolution cases and the new constitution to be drafted - and whether these factors would affect potential members.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said the party would not accept new members who come as a group, but would select each person on their record, profile and ideology. None of the TRT factions had contacted him yet, he said.