Thai Court Dismisses Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra Over Ethics Violation

Updated At : 16:27 PM Aug 29, 2025 IST

Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Friday dismissed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, just a year after she came to power, citing an ethics violation. The ruling delivers another major blow to the Shinawatra political dynasty and signals the start of yet another turbulent chapter in the country’s politics.

Paetongtarn, Thailand’s youngest-ever prime minister, has now become the sixth leader in two decades to be removed by either the military or judiciary in the long-running power struggle between the billionaire-backed Shinawatra family and the country’s conservative establishment.

In its ruling, the court said Paetongtarn breached ethical standards in a leaked phone call from June, during which she appeared to defer to Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen at a time when tensions between the two neighbors were close to sparking armed conflict. Weeks later, fighting did break out, lasting five days.

The decision clears the way for parliament to elect a new prime minister—a process likely to be lengthy and politically fraught. Paetongtarn’s ruling Pheu Thai Party will lose much of its bargaining power and face the challenge of shoring up a fragile coalition with only a slim majority.

In a 6–3 decision, the court said Paetongtarn had placed personal interests above national interests, damaged the country’s reputation, and undermined public trust.

“Because of her personal relationship with Cambodia, the respondent was consistently willing to follow or act in line with Cambodian interests,” the court said in a statement.

The ruling cuts short the premiership of the 39-year-old daughter of influential tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra. Thrust into the spotlight just a year ago, Paetongtarn was still new to politics when the same court abruptly ousted her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin.

Paetongtarn has apologized for the leaked call, saying her intention was to prevent war.

A familiar cycle of upheaval

She is now the fifth prime minister in 17 years to be removed by the Constitutional Court, underscoring its central role in the persistent tug-of-war between elected Shinawatra-led governments and a powerful conservative-royalist alliance.

Attention now turns to who will succeed her. Pheu Thai is expected to remain at the center of backroom negotiations as coalition partners and political power brokers jockey for influence.

Until a new prime minister is chosen, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and the current cabinet will serve in a caretaker capacity, with no deadline set for parliament’s vote.

Five candidates are eligible for the premiership, including just one from Pheu Thai—77-year-old Chaikasem Nitisiri, a former attorney general with limited cabinet experience who has played only a marginal role in politics.

Others include former Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the retired army general who led the 2014 coup against a Pheu Thai government, and Anutin Charnvirakul, who was deputy prime minister until his party withdrew from Paetongtarn’s coalition over the leaked phone call.

The ruling deepens political uncertainty in Thailand at a time when public frustration is rising over stalled reforms and a weakening economy, which the central bank projects will grow by only 2.3% this year.

Any Pheu Thai-led administration is likely to be precarious, dependent on a slim majority and vulnerable to challenges from a strong opposition pushing for early elections.

“Appointing a new prime minister will be difficult and could take a long time,” said Stithorn Thananithichot, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University. “It won’t be easy for parties to align their interests. That will weaken Pheu Thai.”