Thai Court Orders Dismissal of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin

Thai court has ordered the dismissal of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, marking a significant political shift in Thailand.

The appointment of a minister with a criminal conviction has led to the removal of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin by Thailand’s Constitutional Court, thereby plunging the nation into fresh political chaos.

On Wednesday, Judge Punya Udchachon announced that Srettha had been removed from his position. The court voted 5-4 in favor of the removal due to Srettha’s failure to adhere to official moral and ethical standards when appointing Pichit Chuenban as his former lawyer who was previously convicted for contempt of court and jailed for six months in 2008.

The decision was made within a week of judges approving the request made by 40 senators to dismiss Srettha from his post with a majority vote of 6-3. However, their plea for him to be suspended as prime minister while under investigation was denied.

On Tuesday, Pichit stepped down from his position as a minister at the Prime Minister’s Office to safeguard Srettha.

The same court has removed the fourth Thai prime minister in 16 years who happens to be a real estate tycoon.

Al Jazeera’s Tony Cheng reported from Bangkok that the news came as a “big surprise”, however, it did not seem to bother Srettha much.

Cheng reported that earlier today he observed him appearing happy at the government house and relaying his decision to not attend court for an appeal.

He added that in Thailand, particularly among those observing politics closely, the prevailing belief was that it was highly improbable for him to be removed from his post. It seemed more probable he would receive a form of reprimand or warning.

“I didn’t expect the ruling,” said Srettha to reporters following the decision.

He stated that he upholds the verdict and emphasized that throughout his nearly one-year tenure, he has striven to steer the nation with integrity.

Being ousted from power in under a year requires parliament to assemble and select a fresh prime minister, potentially leading to further unpredictability in a nation plagued for two decades with coups and judicial verdicts that led to the downfall of many governing bodies and political factions.

It is expected that Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai will take on the responsibilities of interim prime minister.

The billionaire Shinawatra family, founders of Srettha’s Pheu Thai Party and its forerunners, have been at odds with the conservative establishment and royalist military in a prolonged feud resulting in coups that ousted two of their governments. This has placed the party as well as its predecessors under great strain during Thailand’s tumultuous times.

This move has the potential to disrupt a precarious peace between former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his opponents among the traditional elite and retired military leaders. This tenuous agreement previously allowed for tycoon’s return from self-imposed exile after 15 years in 2023, leading to ally Srettha being appointed as prime minister on that very day.

According to an official from Pheu Thai, the party will convene on Thursday with the intention of selecting their prime ministerial candidate. “As the largest political party in power,” declared Sorawong Thienthong – the organization’s secretary-general- in a statement made to Reuters News Agency.

In order to become the next premier, candidates must have been selected as prime ministerial nominees by their parties before the 2023 election. Among Pheu Thai’s possible choices is Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who serves as both party leader and Thaksin’s daughter at just 37 years old.

After Thaksin and her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, she would become Thailand’s third premier from the Shinawatra family if she succeeded.