The PAD, composed of media activists, social activists, academics and leaders of worker's
unions, is opposed to what it calls the "Thaksin system"; Thaksin' domination of independent
supervisory institutions. It began the mass protest against Thaksin Shinawatra from 2005 to 2006.
In 2008, the PAD accused that Samak Sundaravej and Somchai Wongsawat are proxies for
Thaksin. Samak had announced that he was Thaksin's nominee during his election campaign,
Somchai is Thaksin's brother-in-law, and several new Pua Thai Party members are former TRT
members.