Thailand’s long-running political turmoil continued on Friday, when the Constitutional Court rejected Paeongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of controversial former Prime Minister Thaksin, as prime minister.
Paetontarn, 39, is the youngest prime minister in the country, holding senior positions throughout the year, although her father is widely regarded as guiding the government’s work.
The court said Paetongtarn violated ethics by pushing private interests to national interests. It said her actions damaged the country’s reputation and made the public lose confidence in her.
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The ruling is not surprising after a controversial telephone revelation with former Cambodian leader Huns in June.
On July 1, the court suspended any duties as Thailand’s prime minister after leaking the phone. Soon after, Paeton apologized publicly and demanded forgiveness.
“I don’t want myself. I’m just thinking about how to avoid fighting and bloodshed…I have no bad intentions,” she told reporters. He refers to the phone call with the Hunsen, which triggered a political uproar and failed to avoid a five-day border war in late July, in which a large number of Kambad troops were killed.
A political newbie without government experience, Paetontarn Coming on stage last August After her ex, Srettha Thavisin was fired in the same court’s shock ruling.
Her primary qualification is simply the daughter of Thaksin, a polarized billionaire who has been vaguely visible in Thai politics for a quarter of a century.
Six Shinawatra leaders were ousted
Due to Paetongtarn’s unceremonious exports, six prime ministers from the Shinawatra clan have either been driven out of power by a court ruling or a military coup over the past two decades, highlighting concerns about corruption and Thaksin’s long-term connection with the country’s conservative institutions.
Despite popularity at the start of the term, 31% of respondents nationwide supported her as the chief prime minister choice in September 2024, but Paeton’s position fell on 9.2% in June, according to a survey by the National Instuction of Dismancation Administration.
Finally, her revocation was a recording leaked from a call with the Huns in June, where she seemed to succumb to the experienced Cambodian politician and criticized a popular Thai general who drew direct public opposition.
A petition filed by 36 senators with the Constitutional Court accused Paeton of dishonest and moral violations, initially resulting in her suspension, and today, she was fired.
A tense force along the 800km of Thailand-Fort border ended up causing five days of conflict involving fighter jets and artillery barrage, the worst battle between neighbors in a decade.
Two actions praised by NGOs
Paetongtarn attended Chulalongkorn University at the University of Surrey in Bangkok and the UK, before joining the Shinawatra family business before entering the Pheu Thai Party supported by political leadership Thaksin in 2023.
During the campaign, the pregnant Paetontarn evoked nostalgia from the previously-led government, Shinawatra-led, and committed a commitment to large-scale reforms to millions of working-class voters.
Pheu Thai finished second in the polls, but managed to ensure that the parliamentary majority formed a government after the election-winning forward party refused to take office by a court ruling.
This made Srettha the Prime Minister, followed by Paetongtarn, who failed to fulfill the party’s huge election commitments, including firing the slow economy and completing the flagship “digital wallet” handout plan that has now been placed on the ice.
Her recent time in the office has had two actions praised by rights and humanitarian groups. First of all Fast track citizenship and legal status, which can reach nearly one million stateless mountain people Long-term ethnic residents, primarily in the northern part of the country, reduce processing time from years to a few working days.
The second, earlier this week, was allowed to long-term refugees – Karen and others – who have lived in nine camps near the Myanmar border since the mid-1980s Working outside the camp. This is an urgently needed solution Trump administration shuts down USDA and terminated aid, providing food and health services to about 80,000 refugees in recent months.
A brief border war with Cambodia and Report of attacks on Khmer workers In Thailand, there are thousands of people – possibly fifty million migrant workers fleeing to Cambodia. This has created serious cheap labor and the Thai government is now seeking to cope.
Labour shortages in agriculture, manufacturing and services are a factor that allows displaced Myanmar refugees to work in the Thai border province, which may also help thousands of young men and women escape forced recruitment in Myanmar.
Thailand is the second largest economy in Southeast Asia and has been hit by a negative impact this year. These include China’s growing slowdown and the move to establish a criminal network in China Scam centers in Myanmar, Cambodia and northern Laos In recent years, this has been reported to have prevented some tourists from coming from China, while also strengthening Thailand’s “gray” economy.
Indeed, despite the slowdown in the country, the Thai baht is still surprisingly floating, leading some analysts to speculate that the “gray” money at the center of the scam or the money laundering of neighboring countries is a factor in the Thai currency soaring 11% over the past year.
The 7.7 earthquake in central Myanmar in late March was another “black swan” event that shocked Thailand’s tourism sector, which led to A 30-storey building collapses in Bangkok. The tragedy also had a serious impact on the local real estate sector.
Focus on Thaksin’s hospital cases, afternoon
But the key question now is whether Thailand faces another period of political turmoil and who the next prime minister may be.
Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and the existing cabinet will oversee the government as a caregiver until the new Prime Minister is chosen by the Speaker of the House. The Constitution does not specify a timetable for when the House of Commons must be held.
The court ruled opened the door for party dealings and horse dealings between brokers of other powers, with Thaksin, 76, the founder of the Thai Party, possibly the central figure. With many competitive interests, the process can take time.
But some analysts say so Probably the end of the Shinawatra dynastyBecause when Thaksin was Accused case (Slandering the Monarchy), he still faces another court case that returned to Thailand in 2023 after 16 years of self-imposed exile.
After returning in August 2023, Thaksin immediately went to a court in Bangkok, which allegedly reached an agreement. He was convicted of eight years in absenteeism at a quick hearing. He was sent to prison to serve his sentence, but on the first night, he was Transfer to police hospitals based on medical reasons.
He spent six months in a luxurious room on the top floor of the police hospital before parole. King Maha Vajiralongkorn also shortened his tenure to one year.
Next month, the Supreme Court will rule whether Thaksin has a solid reason to stay in the hospital VIP Suite for a long time. The doctor claimed that his condition was not serious. If he did not reach another deal with the “Elite” power broker, that case could see him being sent back to jail, or flee again.
The afternoon candidate, the future is still cloudy
The ruling coalition has only a vast majority of seven seats, meaning that any change in allegiance away from the coalition could be expensive for the Thais and the political dynasty of Shinawatra.
Eligible candidates to become prime minister include Chaikasem Nitisiri, 77, who is former Attorney General and Attorney General and keeps a low profile, while Anutin Charnvirakul, 58, is ambitious former interior minister and deputy prime minister, and his deputy prime minister of Bhumjaithai party Exiting Paeton’s alliance in June.
Outsiders include Energy Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, former Deputy Prime Minister Jurin Laksanawisit and former Chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha, who led the 2014 coup against the last Pheu Thai government. Prayuth, 71, is retired and is currently a royal consultant.
The chances of retaining the Premier League through chaikasem depend heavily on whether Thaksin still has a residence for Thailand’s conservative institutions, which have far-reaching political influence and can easily knock out its plans.
While the old defender has a tough history with Thaksin, some analysts say they may see him as the smaller of the two evils. Thaksin’s weakening of power could lead to early elections and for the BJP, a progressive and very popular oppositionformerly known as Forward and has an institutional reform agenda that threatens the interests of conservatives and royal armies.
Anudin will need support from within the coalition he fled, as well as from the largest BJP in parliament, which would suggest he might support him if he promised an early election.