Thailand’s Constitutional Court dismissed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Friday in a 6-3 ruling, finding that she had acted in violation of constitutional ethics provisions.
The court’s final ruling, which is not subject to appeal under Thai law, immediately terminated Shinawatra’s position under Section 170 of the Constitution. The ruling results in the immediate dissolution of Shinawatra’s cabinet, with Deputy PM Phumtham Wechayachai now serving as the interim leader until parliament selects a new PM.
The dismissal stems from a June telephone conversation between PM Shinawatra and Cambodia’s former leader, Hun Sen. In the leaked call, Shinawatra reportedly belittled a Thai military commander and adopted a conciliatory approach toward Hun. The conversation drew ire as it came just one month after a violent armed dispute between Thailand and Cambodia broke out along the nations’ shared border.
In July, 36 senators filed a petition with the Constitutional Court, alleging that PM Shinawatra failed to fulfill her constitutional duties. Shortly after, the court suspended Shinawatra. The PM was charged with violating Thailand’s constitution, which requires officials to demonstrate integrity and prohibits ethical misconduct. Specifically, section 160(4) of the constitution states that a Minister must “be of evident integrity,” and section 160(5) prohibits “behaviour which is a serious violation of […] ethical standards.”
In Friday’s ruling, the court determined that Shinawatra had violated these ethical standards. The judges explained that her use of a deferential tone toward Hun Sen while criticizing a senior Thai military commander “demonstrated the weakness of domestic [Thai] politics” and prioritized personal political interests over national security considerations.
This marks the fifth judicial removal of a Thai PM since 2008. Most recently, Srettha Thavisin was ousted as PM following his controversial decision to name Pichit Chuenban as his Office Minister; Chuenban had previously served time in jail for attempting to bribe court officials. Thailand’s Constitutional Court has established broad authority to adjudicate ethical violations by political officials, operating under provisions that some critics argue lack clear boundaries. This pattern of judicial interventions poses unique questions that intersect with the rule of law.
