What to know after the top court in Thailand booted the prime minister
BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s political crisis deepened as the Constitutional Court on Friday removed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office just a year into her term. The court ruled she had harmed the national interest and violated ethical standards in a phone call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen, plunging an already fragile administration into disarray.
Here’s what we know about the latest political twist.
What happened on Friday
In a 6–3 ruling, the court found that Paetongtarn’s conduct during the June 15 call with Cambodian Senate leader Hun Sen violated constitutional ethics rules. The court said she lacked “demonstrable honesty and integrity” and that she appeared to put personal ties above the national interest.
During the call, Paetongtarn had referred to Hun Sen — an old friend of her father, ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra — as “uncle,” and seemingly criticized a Thai army commander in charge of border forces. The call was leaked online by Hun Sen, sparking outrage in Thailand.
Paetongtarn apologized and said her approach was a negotiating tactic to prevent conflict. Weeks later, Thai and Cambodian forces clashed along the border for five days, leaving dozens dead and displacing more than 260,000 people.
How we got to this point
Thais have long experienced sudden changes of government due to military coups, numbering more than a dozen since the 1930s. In the past two decades, the courts have increasingly taken center stage, removing five prime ministers and dissolving three election-winning political parties, often on narrow technical grounds. Most targets were challengers to the traditional royalist establishment, backed by the army and the courts.
Paetongtarn rose to power last year to lead a fragile coalition government, hemmed in by Thailand’s 2017 military-backed constitution that limits the power of elected governments through tools like an unelected Senate and powerful courts.
Thaksin became prime minister in 2001 on populist policies but was ousted in a 2006 coup after clashing with Thailand’s royalist establishment. He went into exile to avoid charges he called political. His brother-in-law, Somchai Wongsawat, and his youngest sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, both served as prime minister after him but were removed by the courts.
Paetongtarn’s outreach to Hun Sen appeared to be a misstep, and was swiftly politicized by her opponents. Paetongtarn was suspended from her duties on July 1 when the Constitutional Court agreed to consider a petition from conservative senators to remove her. Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai took over her responsibilities. Pheu Thai’s hold on power had already been weakened after its largest coalition partner, the Bhumjaithai Party, withdrew right after news of the call became public.
What will happen next
Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham and the current Cabinet will stay on in a caretaker government until a new prime minister is elected. Parliament is required to select one from a pre-approved list of candidates submitted by each party before the last election. The caretaker government also has the option of calling a new election, with the king’s approval.
Pheu Thai has already used two of its three nominees — Srettha Thavisin who was dismissed as prime minister by the court last year, and now Paetongtarn. That leaves Chaikasem Nitisiri, 77, a party loyalist and former minister. The leading challenger is Anutin Charnvirakul from the Bhumjaithai Party.
The Pheu Thai Party may think that staying in power can help in the next election, commented Kevin Hewison, a professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina and a Thai studies scholar. But he feels that may be a miscalculation, because with a continued weak coalition it would lack the capacity for implementing electorally popular policies.
“Does this mean the end of the Shinawatra dominance of Thailand’s politics? I’d never underestimate Thaksin’s political skills,” though they would be severely tested, he said.
