On the afternoon of August 29th, Thailand's Constitutional Court ruled that Paetongtarn, who had already been suspended from her prime ministerial duties, violated constitutional regulations in her dealings concerning a phone call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen. Effective immediately, she is removed from the position of Prime Minister, and her Cabinet is also dissolved.
After the court announced its verdict, Paetongtarn, who was endorsed as Prime Minister last August, declared at a press conference that she had always done her best to serve the country.
"I respect the ruling of the Constitutional Court, but as a Thai national, I would like to reaffirm my innocence and sincerity. Everything I have done over the years has been for the nation. In that leaked recording, I never acted for my own benefit. I also want to stress to the people that there is one thing I have always stood by, and that is the lives of the people."
She said that whether for soldiers or civilians, she always gave her all to consider how to do the utmost to safeguard their safety.
In mid-June, a recording of a call between Paetongtarn and Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen discussing the Thai-Cambodian border situation was leaked, causing controversy in Thailand. On July 1st, the Constitutional Court announced it would accept a petition to investigate whether Paetongtarn had violated the constitution, and immediately suspended her prime ministerial powers. On the 21st of this month, Paetongtarn personally appeared in court for questioning and submitted her final statement by the 25th as required.
Judges Vote 6-3 Declaring Unconstitutional
The Constitutional Court consists of nine judges. Each judge stated their position orally in conference, and after discussion, a vote was held. A verdict passes with the support of more than half the judges.
The result was a 6-3 vote, declaring that Paetongtarn failed to uphold the moral standards expected of a Prime Minister, and she was removed from office.
"Paetongtarn's actions led to a loss of public trust, placing personal interests above national interests and increasing public suspicion of a bias toward Cambodia, which further eroded Thai citizens' confidence in her leadership as Prime Minister." One judge read from the verdict.
"The defendant failed to observe the code of ethical conduct. In effect, her term as Prime Minister ended on July 1st with her suspension."
Who Will Be the Next Prime Minister?
Just as with the previous Prime Minister a year ago, the Constitutional Court has removed Paetongtarn from office. Thailand now faces a political crisis, and the current fragile ruling coalition in parliament has no clear successor.
After Paetongtarn's dismissal, there is heightened attention on who will become the next Prime Minister. The list of eligible prime ministerial candidates now stands at five, from four major parties: Pheu Thai Party's Chaikasem, Bhumjaithai Party's Anutin, United Thai Nation Party's Prayut and Pirapan, and Democrat Party's Jurin.
Notably, the much-watched leader of the Move Forward Party, Pita, is not on the list. The main reason is that Article 159 of the constitution requires a party to hold at least 5% of parliament seats to nominate a prime ministerial candidate. Move Forward now has only 20 seats, below the required threshold, thus losing the qualification to nominate.
Two Consecutive 'Short-lived Prime Ministers'
Just as with the previous Prime Minister a year ago, the Constitutional Court has removed Paetongtarn.
Thailand’s previous Prime Minister Srettha was removed on August 14, 2024, after the Constitutional Court ruled he had violated ethical standards and the constitution, terminating his premiership on the same day. Srettha took office on August 22, 2023, serving less than a year. He was the fourth Prime Minister in 16 years to be removed by the court.
His predecessor, Prime Minister Prayut, was in office from 2014 to 2023.
Paetongtarn’s aunt, Yingluck, was Thailand’s first female prime minister in history. She served from 2011 to 2014, but was eventually forced out by a court ruling, detained by the military, and went into exile, serving around three years.
Paetongtarn is the daughter of the influential and controversial politician Thaksin, and was elected Prime Minister on August 16 last year after winning more than half the votes in a special session of the lower house of parliament. King Vajiralongkorn subsequently confirmed her appointment, making her the youngest prime minister in Thai history. On September 6, Paetongtarn and the new cabinet were sworn in before King Vajiralongkorn.