Thai Constitutional Court ousts suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn

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Whoever becomes the next Prime Minister will not be elected by vote of the people, but will come from Thailand's House of Representatives. I'm guessing the political maneuvering began weeks ago. The court verdict was not exactly unexpected.

As you probably know, Paetongtarn is the daughter of Thaksin. Despite that he no longer holds office, he is still one of the most powerful people in Thai politics.

The speculations about who is most likely to become the next Prime Minister include two names probably well known to many of you: Anutin and former Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha. Other names being considered are people I, for one, have never heard of.

There is no way to know how much time will pass before Thailand has its next Prime Minister. It could be days. It could be months. Your guess is as good as anybody's.
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Thailand's Constitutional Court sacks PM Paetongtarn for ethics violation

Paetongtarn is fifth PM removed by court in 17 years

Thailand's Constitutional Court dismissed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office on Friday for an ethics violation after only a year in power, in another crushing blow to the Shinawatra political dynasty that could usher in a new period of turmoil.

Ms Paetongtarn, who was Thailand's youngest prime minister, becomes the sixth premier from or backed by the billionaire Shinawatra family to be removed by the military or judiciary in a tumultuous two-decade battle for power between the country's warring elites. Her father Thaksin was toppled in the 2006 coup, while her aunt Yingluck was removed from office by the Constitutional Court in early 2014, only weeks before another military coup.

In its verdict, the court said Ms Paetongtarn violated ethics in a leaked June telephone call, during which she appeared to kowtow to Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen when both countries were at the brink of an armed border conflict. Fighting erupted weeks later and lasted five days.

The charter court found that under Section 170 (1)(4) in conjunction with Sections 106 (4) and (5) of the Constitution, a minister must be trustworthy, subject to scrutiny in all aspects, and must demonstrate manifest integrity.

The court concluded that the prime minister’s remarks in the audio clip — particularly those referring to the Second Army Region commander and the use of the term “we” — suggested a lack of unity between the government and the military.

The judges stated that such behaviour indicated partisanship and exposed internal divisions, potentially weakening Thailand’s position and allowing Cambodia to interfere in domestic affairs.

Following the phone call leak, Ms Paetongtarn apologised and said she was trying to avert a war. She told a press conference that during the conversation, she intended to take a gentle approach to dealing with Hun Sen as a negotiating strategy, for the protection of Thailand’s sovereignty.

However, the complainants viewed that she failed to act properly in her capacity as prime minister. Her talk of personal and family relationships with Hun Sen gave the appearance of siding with Cambodia, they said.

She also described the tough-talking commander of the Second Army Region as an adversary, and indicated she was ready to meet Cambodia’s demands, the senators said.

The controversial phone call was made at a time when Thailand was restricting border crossings with Cambodia after a skirmish in a disputed area in Ubon Ratchathani in late May, which followed Cambodian incursions that started in April.

In early June, Thailand cut border opening times and banned some groups from crossing, while Cambodia continued to accuse Thailand of invading its territory and opening fire on its soldiers.

Phnom Penh subsequently said it intended to bring border issues to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which Thailand opposed.

Cambodia brought its claims to the ICJ on June 15, the same day of Ms Paetongtarn’s phone call in which Hun Sen repeated his demand that border crossing restrictions be lifted.

As a result, the court ruled that Ms Paetongtarn’s ministerial status had ended as of July 1, the date she was ordered to cease performing her duties. The ruling also mandates the dissolution of the entire cabinet.

The decision paves the way for the election by parliament of a new prime minister, a process that could be drawn out, with Ms Paetongtarn's ruling Pheu Thai Party losing bargaining power and facing a challenge to shore-up a fragile alliance with a razor-thin majority.

The ruling brings a premature end to the premiership of the daughter and protégé of influential tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra. Ms Paetongtarn, 39, was a political neophyte when she was thrust abruptly into the spotlight after the surprise dismissal of predecessor Srettha Thavisin by the same court a year ago.

She is the fifth premier in 17 years to be removed by the charter court, underlining its central role in an intractable power struggle between the elected governments of the Shinawatra clan and a nexus of powerful conservatives and royalist generals with far-reaching influence.

Uncertainty ahead

The focus will next shift to who will replace Ms Paetongtarn, with Thaksin expected to be at the heart of a flurry of horse-trading between parties and other power-brokers to try to keep Pheu Thai in charge of the coalition.

Deputy premier Phumtham Wechayachai and the current cabinet will oversee the government in a caretaker capacity until a new prime minister is elected by the house, with no time limit on when that must take place.

There are five people eligible to become prime minister, with only one from Pheu Thai, 77-year-old Chaikasem Nitisiri, a former attorney general with limited cabinet experience, who has maintained a low profile in politics. Others include former premier Prayut Chan-o-cha, who has retired from politics and led a military coup against the last Pheu Thai government in 2014, and Anutin Charnvirakul, a deputy premier before he withdrew his party from Paetongtarn's coalition over the leaked phone call.

The ruling thrusts Thailand into more political uncertainty at a time of simmering public unease over stalled reforms and a stuttering economy expected by the Bank of Thailand (BoT) to grow just 2.3% this year.

Any Pheu Thai administration would be a coalition likely to have only a slender majority and could face frequent parliamentary challenges from an opposition with huge public support that is pushing for an early election.

"Appointing a new prime minister...will be difficult and may take considerable time," said Stithorn Thananithichot, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University.

"It's not easy for all parties to align their interests," he said. "Pheu Thai will be at a disadvantage."

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/po ... -violation

[Jun]

She also described the tough-talking commander of the Second Army Region as an adversary

Of course that could be true.
Those who suspect the Thai military have been the real instigators of this border crisis might think so.

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Just a guess on my part: I think Thailand's next Prime Minister is going to be Anutin. I believe he is the most likely candidate. I also think he is not the type who will give in to the machinations of Thaksin other than what he agrees with anyway.
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Anutin pledges to form government, ready to be PM since 2019 and reset country in 4 months

by THE NATION

August 30, 2025

Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul leads talks to form a new government, pledges to return power to the people within four months.

On August 29, Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, alongside Santi Promphat, deputy leader of the Palang Pracharath Party, Deputy Commerce Minister Suchart Chomklin, former Democrat Party deputy leader Niphon Bunyamanee, and Sakda Wichiansilp, Bhumjaithai MP for Kanchanaburi, held a press conference following discussions with political party leaders to seek support for forming a new government.

Anutin said that all members of the House of Representatives had gathered to demonstrate their readiness to jointly form the next government, aiming to resolve the country’s problems promptly and ensure the continued progress of Thailand without disruption.

He noted that, having been informed of the conditions outlined by the People’s Party for public transparency, the support from the People’s Party is intended to prevent any administrative vacuum.

“Many problems arise, sometimes over minor matters, which previous groups may not have been able to resolve,” Anutin said. “But under our leadership, we can address them. We care for the nation and are committed to restoring peace and stability to our country.”

Anutin added that he is confident that a government can be formed under the agreed conditions, including matters concerning referendums, constitutional amendments, and relations with neighbouring countries.

“We will return power to the people within four months of our policy announcement by dissolving the House of Representatives, allowing citizens to reset the country and decide on its future leadership,” he said.

When asked if discussions with the People’s Party had confirmed sufficient support, Anutin said that in principle, all proposals from the People’s Party had been accepted and aligned with the terms of reference. He added that gathering support is now the responsibility of all parties, and there is no disagreement from the People’s Party.

Regarding concerns that dissolving the House within four months might be too soon, Anutin said: “There is no such thing as too soon or too late. We have the experience, ability, and sincere intention to urgently address issues and ease the worries of our citizens.”

When pressed on how many MPs’ support has been secured, Anutin responded: “Let’s count later. We are here to serve the country and already have sufficient support to form a government as quickly as possible.”

Anutin emphasised that he has been ready to serve as prime minister as Bhumjaithai Party leader and sole candidate since 2019, with the goal of working for the nation and the people’s welfare and development.

When asked about the status of the caretaker prime minister and the possibility of dissolving the House, Anutin said he would not overstep but noted that the term of Paetongtarn as prime minister has ended according to the Constitutional Court’s ruling. “Now is the time to focus on rebuilding and developing the country,” he added.

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/politics/40054724

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Not that it is likely to matter, but according to this poll, here's what the people want - and don't want - for their next Prime Minister:
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Thai voters favour businessmen, soldiers as next PM: survey

by THE NATION

August 31, 2025

Most Thai voters prefer businessmen or soldiers as the next PM, with many ready to back candidates from new parties, a Nida Poll finds.

An opinion survey has found that most Thai voters prefer either a businessman or a soldier to become the next prime minister after the upcoming election.

The survey was carried out by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida Poll) among 1,310 respondents from across the country on August 25–26. All respondents are at least 18 years old.

Under the topic “Are you interested in a PM and new party?”, the survey found that businessmen topped the list of preferred professions, followed by soldiers and then national politicians.

It also found that most voters would support candidates from new parties with no current MPs, in both constituency-based and party-list elections.

The results, released on Sunday, showed the following:

Professions preferred to become the next prime minister (multiple answers allowed):

32.44%: Businessmen who own large businesses
24.05%: Soldiers
19.54%: National politicians
16.26%: Lawyers, public prosecutors, judges
16.11%: Government officials
14.89%: Corporate executives (who are not owners or shareholders)
14.89%: Academics
12.75%: Owners of small and medium enterprises
11.83%: Local politicians
7.18%: Freelancers, influencers, net idols, writers
6.18%: NGO officials, volunteers
4.81%: Police
3.21%: Market vendors
3.05%: Doctors, nurses
2.82%: Tambon chiefs, village heads
1.98%: Private-sector employees
0.84%: Entertainers, singers, actors and actresses
0.61%: High-society figures
3.13%: No comment