Constitutional Court of Thailand On Wednesday, Prime Minister Shrestha Thaweesin was sacked for appointing a former lawyer who had served a prison sentence to his Cabinet, raising fears of more political turmoil and a restructuring of the ruling coalition.
Real estate tycoon Shrestha became the fourth Thai prime minister in 16 years to be removed by the same court, after it ruled he had violated the constitution by appointing a minister who did not meet ethical standards.
Shrestha’s ouster after less than a year in power means parliament must convene to select a new prime minister, adding to the uncertainty in a country that has seen several governments and political parties fall in coups and court rulings over the past two decades.
Last week, the same court dissolved the anti-establishment Move Forward party, a hugely popular opposition party, saying its campaign to reform the law against insulting the Crown risked undermining the constitutional monarchy. On Friday, the party regrouped as a new party.
Shrestha’s Pheu Thai party and its predecessors have borne the brunt of Thailand’s turmoil, as two of his governments were ousted by coups in a long-running bitter struggle between the party’s founders, the billionaire Shinawatra family, and their rivals in the conservative establishment and the monarchy’s military.
The decision could shake a fragile truce between political heavyweight leader Thaksin Shinawatra and his estranged enemies among the conservative elite and military old guard that enabled Thaksin Shinawatra’s return from 15 years of self-exile in 2023 and his ally Shrestha’s sworn in as prime minister on the same day.
Shrestha said the appointment of Shinawatra’s former lawyer Pichit Chuenban, who was briefly jailed for contempt of court in 2008 for allegedly attempting to bribe court staff. The bribery allegations were never proven and Pichit resigned in May.
Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Vechayachai is expected to take over as acting prime minister.
Return of Shinavatar?
According to some political experts, it is likely that Pheu Thai will still have the strength to lead the next administration, although horse-trading and uncertainty continues over who will be in charge.
“The coalition remains united,” said Olarn Thinbangtiyo, deputy dean of Burapha University’s Faculty of Political Science and Law.
“There may be some impact on confidence, but it will be in the short term.”
The next prime minister will need to be nominated as a prime ministerial candidate by their parties before the 2023 election, with Thaksin’s 37-year-old daughter and party leader Patongtarn Shinawatra one of Pheu Thai’s options.
If successful, she will become Thailand’s third Shinawatra prime minister, after Thaksin and her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra.
Other possible candidates include Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Energy Minister Pirapanan Salirathvibhaga and influential former army chief Prawit Wongsuwan, who was involved in two previous coups.
The court’s decision comes at a difficult time for an economy that Shrestha has struggled to jump-start, where exports and consumer spending are weak, household debt is skyrocketing and more than one million small businesses are unable to access loans.
The government has forecast growth of just 2.7% for 2024, lagging regional peers, while Thailand has been Asia’s worst-performing market this year, with its main stock index (SETI) down nearly 17% so far this year.