BANGKOK, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Thailand's Pheu Thai Party on Thursday gained support from a rival military-backed party, potentially boosting it in its bid to form a government ahead of a prime ministerial vote in parliament next week. The United Thai Nation Party or UTN, the party that fielded former coup leader Prayuth Chan-ocha as its prime ministerial candidate in the May election, said on Thursday that it will help Pheu Thai form a government. "United Thai Party will join the government with Pheu Thai," UTN spokesman Akaradej Wongpitakroj told reporters on Thursday. Move Forward's former ally, the second-placed Pheu Thai party, earlier this month took over efforts to form a government. Previous Pheu Thai governments, backed by the billionaire Shinawatra family, were ousted by military coups in 2006 and 2014, when the party's interests clashed with the country's powerful old money elites and royalist military.

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Persons: Prayuth Chan, Prayuth, Akaradej Wongpitakroj, Srettha Thavisin, Panu, Toby Chopra, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Thai Party, United Thai Nation Party, United Thai Party, Thomson Locations: BANGKOK, Thai, Thailand