Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ousted in shock court ruling

Bangkok, Thailand
CNN
—

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has been removed from office after a court ruled he violated the constitution, in a shock decision that could plunge the kingdom into further political uncertainty.

The ruling comes a week after the same court dissolved the country’s popular Progress Forward Party, which won the most seats in last year’s election, and banned its leaders from politics for 10 years.

The Constitutional Court in Bangkok ruled on Wednesday that real estate mogul and political newcomer Srita had violated ethics rules by appointing a lawyer who had served time in prison to the cabinet.

Five of the court’s nine judges voted to dismiss Sreetha and his government, ruling that the prime minister was “fully aware that he had appointed a person who seriously lacked moral integrity.”

A new government must now be formed, and the ruling coalition led by Pheu Thie’s party will nominate a new candidate for prime minister, who will be voted on in the 500-seat parliament.

Speaking to reporters after the decision, Serita said he had done his duty as prime minister to the best of his ability and said he “accepts the verdict.” He added that he was unsure whether the next government would continue his policies.

The ruling means further turmoil in Thailand’s already volatile political landscape, where those pushing for change have often been at odds with the establishment – a small but powerful clique of military, royal and business elites.

Over the past two decades, dozens of lawmakers have faced bans, parties have been dissolved, and prime ministers have been ousted in coups or by court decisions — with the judiciary playing a central role in the ongoing battle for power.

Sritha’s appointment to the top post last August ended three months of political deadlock after the 2023 election, but brought his Pheu Thai party into a ruling coalition with its longtime military rivals.

The case against Serita was brought in May by a group of 40 former military-appointed senators who sought to remove him from office over the appointment of Pichit Chuenpan, a close aide to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Pitchit was sentenced to six months in prison in 2008 for contempt of court after trying to bribe Supreme Court officials in a land case involving Thaksin.

Serita denied any wrongdoing and said that Bichette, who has since resigned, was properly vetted and that the party followed proper procedures.

Opinion polls have shown that Sritha’s popularity has declined in recent months, as his key economic policies have faced opposition and delays.

But Wednesday’s ruling shocked political analysts who had thought the court would side with the prime minister.

“The ruling was surprising because it signals unprecedented judicial interventions to set political trends, first by dissolving the Move Forward party and now removing Sritha within a week,” said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political science professor at Chulalongkorn University.

The two decisions raised new concerns about the erosion of democratic rights in the kingdom.

“In light of the recent rulings, Thailand should be viewed as a semi-authoritarian state at best, where people’s votes practically do not matter. The conservative establishment has the power to veto and manipulate to get preferred results,” Thitinan said.

Sritha’s priority since taking office has been to fix the country’s stagnant economy.

The ousted leader had announced a plan to distribute a 500 billion baht ($13.8 billion) digital wallet that he said would create jobs and stimulate spending in remote areas. The plan has not yet been rolled out.

Srita also set a goal for Thailand to attract more foreign investment and become a global tourism hub, expanding visa-free policies and announcing plans to host major events in a bid to boost the economy.

Fu Tai and the Foundation

The populist Pheu Thai Party is the latest incarnation of parties allied with divisive former leader Thaksin, who was ousted by the military in a 2005 coup.

Thaksin, a telecom billionaire and former owner of Manchester City Football Club, is the head of a famous political dynasty that has played a major role in Thai politics over the past two decades.

His dramatic return from 15 years of self-imposed exile last year coincided with the Senate voting to appoint Serita as the country’s 30th prime minister.

The vote ensured that the Pheu Thai Party would lead a multi-party coalition. The Move Forward Party, which had won a stunning election victory in May 2023 with its hugely popular reform agenda, was forced into opposition.

The Move Forward movement has proposed sweeping reforms to capitalize on years of growing anger over Thailand’s governance, including changes to the country’s strict lese majeste laws that criminalize insulting senior members of the royal family.

In July 2023, conservative senators blocked Move Forward from forming a government over its reform campaign. Last week, the Constitutional Court accused the party of “undermining the monarchy” and ordered it dissolved, a blow to the vibrant progressive movement. Former members have since re-formed the party under a new name.

With Sritha out of office, political negotiations will resume, with coalition partners vying for ministerial posts and the top job.

Among the likely candidates is Pheu Thai Party leader Bitongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksin’s youngest daughter. Others include Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who successfully pushed through the country’s cannabis legalization, and political veteran Prawit Wongsuwan, leader of the military-backed Palang Pracharat Party, who was involved in the past two coups against the Shinawatra family.

This story has been updated.