(Bangkok, 29th) Facing an impeachment crisis, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn has submitted a new cabinet list to the King. Sources say Paetongtarn plans to concurrently serve as Minister of Culture in the new cabinet. In this way, if the court orders her to suspend her duties as Prime Minister, she can still remain in the cabinet.
Thai media reported that Paetongtarn submitted the cabinet reshuffle list on Friday (June 27) and is currently awaiting royal approval. The Nation, citing multiple sources, said that Paetongtarn’s decision to also act as Minister of Culture is an emergency measure modeled after former Prime Minister Prayuth.
In 2022, Prayuth was ordered by the Constitutional Court to suspend his duties as Prime Minister. During this period, then Deputy Prime Minister Prawit temporarily acted as Prime Minister, while Prayuth continued to serve as Minister of Defense. Paetongtarn may face a similar situation. The Constitutional Court will review next week whether to accept the petition to impeach her. If accepted, the court may order her to suspend her PM role during the trial.
The new cabinet's highly scrutinized post of Minister of Interior will be taken over by current Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Phongthep. This post was originally held by the Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin, whose party has now left the coalition government.
The Bangkok Post quoted sources saying that after Phongthep is transferred to Interior Minister, former Deputy Defense Minister General Natthapong will be promoted to Defense Minister.
The leak of a phone call recording between Paetongtarn and former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen led to the second-largest party in the former ruling coalition, Bhumjaithai, withdrawing and plunging Paetongtarn’s administration into a political crisis, which also forced her to reshuffle the cabinet. However, the new cabinet list has yet to be officially announced and the second-largest party in the coalition, the United Thai Nation Party (abbreviated as UTN), is already embroiled in infighting.
Sources revealed that UTN leader, current Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Pirapan is dissatisfied with Paetongtarn appointing a rival faction leader from UTN as Deputy Interior Minister, and has threatened to leave the coalition government.
UTN, which holds 36 seats, has been internally divided on whether to stay in the ruling coalition. Earlier party sources said that one faction advocated remaining, on condition that Paetongtarn step down; the other made it clear that it would continue to support Paetongtarn as head of the coalition government.
The Thai public is also mounting pressure on Paetongtarn. On Saturday (June 28), thousands dissatisfied with her handling of the Thai-Cambodian border dispute took to the streets of Bangkok, demanding her resignation.
According to AFP, most protesters were elderly and members of the royalist “Yellow Shirt” group who oppose Paetongtarn’s father, former PM Thaksin.
Among them, 70-year-old protester Sri traveled overnight by bus from northern Thailand to join the rally in Bangkok. He said Paetongtarn is not fit to be Prime Minister. "After hearing the leaked call recording, I knew I couldn't trust her anymore... She was actually willing to give up our sovereignty.”
Pichet, leader of the opposition political group “Thai Students and People's Reform Network,” criticized at the rally that Paetongtarn is the country's “weakest link,” sending the nation into a vicious cycle and continual decline.
According to the leaked recording, Paetongtarn affectionately called Hun Sen “uncle” during the call and asked him to help defuse the border dispute, while accusing the Thai border commanders of being “enemies of the Thai government.”
When asked about the protests on Saturday, Paetongtarn expressed: “This is the people's right, I will not resist.”
The Bangkok Post reported this was the largest anti-government protest since the Pheu Thai Party took office in 2023.
Thai media reported that Paetongtarn submitted the cabinet reshuffle list on Friday (June 27) and is currently awaiting royal approval. The Nation, citing multiple sources, said that Paetongtarn’s decision to also act as Minister of Culture is an emergency measure modeled after former Prime Minister Prayuth.
In 2022, Prayuth was ordered by the Constitutional Court to suspend his duties as Prime Minister. During this period, then Deputy Prime Minister Prawit temporarily acted as Prime Minister, while Prayuth continued to serve as Minister of Defense. Paetongtarn may face a similar situation. The Constitutional Court will review next week whether to accept the petition to impeach her. If accepted, the court may order her to suspend her PM role during the trial.
The new cabinet's highly scrutinized post of Minister of Interior will be taken over by current Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Phongthep. This post was originally held by the Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin, whose party has now left the coalition government.
The Bangkok Post quoted sources saying that after Phongthep is transferred to Interior Minister, former Deputy Defense Minister General Natthapong will be promoted to Defense Minister.
The leak of a phone call recording between Paetongtarn and former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen led to the second-largest party in the former ruling coalition, Bhumjaithai, withdrawing and plunging Paetongtarn’s administration into a political crisis, which also forced her to reshuffle the cabinet. However, the new cabinet list has yet to be officially announced and the second-largest party in the coalition, the United Thai Nation Party (abbreviated as UTN), is already embroiled in infighting.
Sources revealed that UTN leader, current Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Pirapan is dissatisfied with Paetongtarn appointing a rival faction leader from UTN as Deputy Interior Minister, and has threatened to leave the coalition government.
UTN, which holds 36 seats, has been internally divided on whether to stay in the ruling coalition. Earlier party sources said that one faction advocated remaining, on condition that Paetongtarn step down; the other made it clear that it would continue to support Paetongtarn as head of the coalition government.
The Thai public is also mounting pressure on Paetongtarn. On Saturday (June 28), thousands dissatisfied with her handling of the Thai-Cambodian border dispute took to the streets of Bangkok, demanding her resignation.
According to AFP, most protesters were elderly and members of the royalist “Yellow Shirt” group who oppose Paetongtarn’s father, former PM Thaksin.
Among them, 70-year-old protester Sri traveled overnight by bus from northern Thailand to join the rally in Bangkok. He said Paetongtarn is not fit to be Prime Minister. "After hearing the leaked call recording, I knew I couldn't trust her anymore... She was actually willing to give up our sovereignty.”
Pichet, leader of the opposition political group “Thai Students and People's Reform Network,” criticized at the rally that Paetongtarn is the country's “weakest link,” sending the nation into a vicious cycle and continual decline.
According to the leaked recording, Paetongtarn affectionately called Hun Sen “uncle” during the call and asked him to help defuse the border dispute, while accusing the Thai border commanders of being “enemies of the Thai government.”
When asked about the protests on Saturday, Paetongtarn expressed: “This is the people's right, I will not resist.”
The Bangkok Post reported this was the largest anti-government protest since the Pheu Thai Party took office in 2023.