Thailand's PM suspended by Constitutional Court
The kingdom's politics have been dominated for years by a battle between the conservative, pro-military, pro-royalist elite and the Shinawatra clan, who they consider a threat to Thailand's traditional social order.
The blow to 38-year-old Paetongtarn came on the same day that her father, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra faced a criminal court over allegations of royal defamation.
Paetongtarn took power less than a year ago but will be suspended while the Constitutional Court deliberates whether she breached ministerial ethics during the border row.
A long-standing territorial dispute with Cambodia boiled over into cross-border clashes in May, killing one Cambodian soldier.
When Paetongtarn called Cambodian ex-leader Hun Sen to discuss the tensions, she called him 'uncle' and referred to a Thai military commander as her 'opponent', according to a leaked recording which caused widespread backlash.
Conservative lawmakers accused her of kowtowing to Cambodia and undermining the military, and allege she breached constitutional provisions requiring 'evident integrity' and 'ethical standards' among ministers.
'The Constitutional Court with a majority of 7-2 suspends the respondent from Prime Ministerial duty from 1 July until the Constitutional Court has made its ruling,' said a statement.
-- 'Critical dilution' --
Paetongtarn's Pheu Thai party has already been abandoned by a key conservative coalition partner over the scandal and thousands protested against her leadership in Bangkok over the weekend.
Thailand's king on Tuesday approved Paetongtarn's cabinet reshuffle after her allies quit.
She assigned herself the culture minister position and is due to take up the position on Thursday, but it is unclear if she could take up that role while under investigation by the Constitutional Court.
Separately on Tuesday, her father Thaksin arrived at a Bangkok criminal court to face accusations of breaching strict lese majeste laws used to shield Thailand's king from criticism.
The allegations stem from a 2015 interview he gave to South Korean media and he faces up to 15 years in jail if convicted. The trial is set to last for weeks, with a verdict not expected for at least a month after that.
A court official confirmed to AFP the trial began on Tuesday morning with Thaksin in attendance but said media would not be allowed in.
'I can't speak on his behalf about how he feels, but I think he seems chill,' his lawyer Winyat Chatmontri told AFP outside court.
Thai political analyst Thitinan Pongsudhirak told AFP 'there is a direct undeniable linkage between the two cases' as the brand of the Shinawatra family faces 'a critical dilution'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Cambodian leader warns Thailand: Don't cross the line on disputed areas
PHNOM PENH: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has issued a warning to Thailand, stating that any attempt to block Cambodian citizens from entering the disputed areas could lead to serious consequences. He emphasised that the Emerald Triangle, Ta Moan Thom, Ta Moan Tauch and Ta Krabei temples are still under dispute and are awaiting a ruling from the International Court of Justice. Therefore, no party has the sole authority to restrict access at their own discretion, he said, stressing that the status of these areas must remain as it was on June 7, 2025. 'Let me make it clear the areas of Ta Moan Thom Temple, Ta Moan Tauch Temple, Ta Krabei Temple, and the Emerald Triangle are unresolved,' Hun Manet said, 'We have submitted the matter to international judicial mechanisms. No party has the right to unilaterally block access to these areas. 'The status quo must be respected. Any attempt to restrict Cambodian citizens from entering would cross a red line and will be met with appropriate consequences.' Moreover, Hun Manet confirmed that Cambodia is awaiting discussions with the Thai authorities, urging Thailand to unilaterally reopen the border crossing and restore the situation to the state it was on June 7. He added that if Thailand reopens its side of the border, Cambodia will follow suit within five hours to normalise operations. - The Nation/ANN
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Blast kills four Pakistani officials, 11 injured: police
PESHAWAR, (Pakistan): An explosion in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday (July 2) killed at least four local government officials and police officers, a police official told AFP. "One senior government official, along with another government official and two police officers, were killed in the attack. Eleven people were wounded," said Waqas Rafiq, a senior police official stationed in Bajaur, a city near the border with Afghanistan. The officials were travelling in a car when "the attack happened in a market in Bajaur city", Rafiq added. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast. It came four days after 16 soldiers were killed in the province in an attack claimed by the Pakistan Taliban, a group which is very active in the area. Around 300 people, mostly security officials, have been killed in attacks since the start of the year by armed groups fighting the government in both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, according to an AFP tally. Last year was the deadliest in a decade for Pakistan, with a surge in attacks that killed more than 1,600 people, according to Islamabad-based analysis group the Center for Research and Security Studies. Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in violence in its regions bordering Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021, with Islamabad accusing its western neighbour of allowing its soil to be used for attacks against Pakistan -- a claim the Taliban denies. - AFP
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
India cricket tour to Bangladesh could be rescheduled
DHAKA: India's white-ball tour of Bangladesh in August could be rescheduled because it needs clearance from the Indian government, a senior Bangladesh cricket official told AFP on Wednesday. The series, including three one-day and three T20 matches, is due to start on August 17 in Dhaka. However, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) media committee chairman Iftikhar Rahman told AFP that its Indian counterpart, the BCCI, has informed them the tour might be delayed. The BCCI has not made any comment on the tour. 'The tour is part of the FTP (International Cricket Council's Future Tours Programme), so cancellation is not an option. But it may be rescheduled to a mutually convenient time,' Rahman said, without giving further details. BCB sources said that the tour was awaiting a green light from India's government, reports repeated in Indian media. The uncertainty follows recent diplomatic tension between Dhaka and New Delhi after Bangladesh's mass uprising toppled then prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. Bangladesh toured India in September-October 2024 for two Tests and two T20 matches.
