The Thai Constitutional Court on Friday (August 29) dismissed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from her position citing ethical standards violation. She served for only a year before being ousted, posing a significant blow to the Shinawatra family and potentially triggering a new round of political turmoil.
Paetongtarn, aged 39, is the daughter of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. She was once the youngest prime minister in Thai history and now becomes the sixth prime minister in the past 20 years to be removed from office due to military or judicial intervention.
In its ruling, the court stated that Paetongtarn had violated ethics in a phone call in June this year. At the time, amid border armed conflicts between Thailand and Cambodia, she referred to former Cambodian leader Hun Sen as “uncle” in the call, appeared to show weakness, and criticized Thai military leaders.
The contents of this phone call were eventually leaked online by Hun Sen, provoking anger and protests from the Thai public.
Paetongtarn has publicly apologized, stating that she had tried her best to uphold national interests, aiming to de-escalate tensions and save lives, but was ultimately found in violation by the Constitutional Court.
With a vote result of 6-3, the court ruled that Paetongtarn had prioritized personal interests over national interests, tarnishing the country’s reputation and losing public trust.
The court stated in its announcement: “Due to what seems like a personal relationship in alignment with Cambodia, the defendant was always willing to comply with or follow the wishes of the Cambodian side.”
This decision paves the way for the selection of a new prime minister through parliamentary elections, a process that may be time-consuming. Paetongtarn’s party, Pheu Thai, will lose negotiation leverage and face significant challenges.
With this ruling, Paetongtarn’s political career comes to an abrupt halt, prompting various political parties to engage in a new round of political bargaining. During this period, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and the current cabinet will manage government affairs in a caretaker capacity until a new prime minister is elected by Parliament, with no set timeframe for this process.
Currently, there are five candidates eligible for the position of prime minister, with only one coming from Pheu Thai, 77-year-old Chaikasem Nitisiri, a former attorney general with limited cabinet experience who has maintained a low profile in politics.
Other candidates include retired former Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who staged a coup in 2014 to overthrow the Pheu Thai government.
Another contender is Anutin Charnvirakul, a former deputy prime minister who led his party to withdraw from Paetongtarn’s alliance following the leaked phone call incident.
Political scholar Stithorn Thananithichot from Chulalongkorn University stated, “Appointing a new prime minister will be very challenging and may take quite a long time. Consolidating the interests of various political parties is not easy, putting Pheu Thai at a disadvantage.”
(This article is based on related reports from Reuters)