Two top executives of the Thai Rak Thai Party, former secretary-general Suriya Jungrungreangkit, and Pinij Charusombat, leader of Wang Phya Nak faction, resigned their party membership, party registrar Saman Lertdamrongrat said yesterday.

The exit of the two adds to the exodus of 93 key members from the once-mighty party.

"Suriya just said he wanted to leave because Thaksin Shinawatra was no longer the party leader," Saman said, adding that Pinij had confirmed his resignation after retracting it last week.

Another key Thai Rak Thai member to quit yesterday was former MP Kasem Pan-udomlak.

Thaksin, who is in self-imposed exile in London, resigned from the party leadership last Tuesday, prompting the realignment of members. He remains a party member, however.

His resignation meant the collapse of the 119-member party executive board, on which Suriya and Pinij sat.

Of the Thai Rak Thai's former executives, 57 have already left the party.

On leaving office, Thaksin and his 119 party executives are obliged to declare their assets to the Election Commission within 30 days.

In a related development, as resignations from Thai Rak Thai continued unabated, the party's executive board yesterday voted to have deputy leader Chaturon Chaisang serve as the acting leader, said Pongthep Thepkarnchana who is another TRT deputy leader.

"He is a democratic man and his qualifications have been accepted," he said

Chaturon said he would accept the post if he had power to make decisions.

"I won't be a nominee. If the party members accept my ideas I will agree to do this job," said Chaturon.

Pongthep said that after the party had confirmed him as leader, Chaturon would assign staff to submit a report of the party executives' assets to the Election Commission.

Under the law, a party executive who resigns has to report their assets to the Election Committee within 30 days.

However, he said this had nothing to do with the financial reports of former ministers who were TRT executives.

Following the law, ministers who resigned from the government will have to report their financial assets to the National Counter Corruption Commission within 45 days.