Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Friday officially removed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office, citing her handling of a border dispute with Cambodia as a serious breach of ethical standards.
In its verdict, the court ruled that Paetongtarn lacked the qualifications required of a prime minister under the Thai constitution. The 39-year-old leader, who became Thailand’s youngest-ever prime minister last August, had been suspended on July 1 after a group of senators filed a petition seeking her dismissal.
The senators highlighted a leaked phone call in which Paetongtarn referred to a Thai army commander as the “opposite side” during a discussion with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. They argued that the conversation demonstrated a lack of responsibility and integrity and posed a threat to Thailand’s sovereignty.
Paetongtarn maintained that the conversation was intended to serve Thailand’s national interest. Nevertheless, the leak ignited widespread public anger, sparking mass protests demanding her resignation.
Paetongtarn, daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, took office following the removal of her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, also from the ruling Pheu Thai Party, by the Constitutional Court over a cabinet appointment controversy.
Under the Thai Constitution, her removal is immediate, and the entire cabinet will step down. The lower house will convene to select a new prime minister from candidates proposed by political parties ahead of the general election scheduled for May 2023. The Constitutional Court’s decision is final and cannot be appealed.
