Thailand PM Removed from Office for Unethical Cabinet Appointment

Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was ousted from office on Wednesday by the Constitutional Court for appointing a former lawyer with a criminal record to his Cabinet.

The court ruled that Srettha violated ethical standards by knowingly appointing Pichit Chuenban, who served six months in jail in 2008 for contempt of court after allegedly attempting to bribe a judge.

Srettha, a real estate tycoon, becomes the fourth Thai premier in 16 years to be removed from office by the Constitutional Court. His dismissal has increased uncertainty in a country that has seen multiple coups and court rulings that have brought down governments over the past two decades. The court's decision, which passed with a 5:4 vote, found Srettha guilty of nominating Pichit as Minister of the Prime Minister's Office during a Cabinet reshuffle in April.

Despite having completed his sentence, the court held that Pichit's past behavior was dishonest and that Srettha, as the prime minister, bore sole responsibility for vetting his Cabinet appointees. The court ruled that by nominating Pichit, Srettha grossly breached ethical standards, leading to his termination from office.

Following the verdict, the Cabinet will assume a caretaker role with Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai expected to step in as acting prime minister until a new leader is approved by the Thai Parliament. The timeline for appointing a new prime minister remains open-ended, and the decision has the potential to unsettle the delicate political balance between Thaksin Shinawatra and his adversaries within the conservative elite and military.

Srettha’s removal comes just days after the Constitutional Court dissolved the anti-establishment Move Forward Party, ruling that its campaign to reform the country's strict lèse-majesté law threatened the constitutional monarchy.

Expressing his disappointment, Srettha said, "I am saddened to leave as a prime minister who was found to be unethical. I performed my duties with integrity and honesty." The former prime minister acknowledged that his administration's policies might be subject to change under the next government.

Srettha had only assumed office last August after winning a parliamentary vote. Despite his efforts to implement his government's flagship scheme—a 500 billion baht ($14.22 billion) "digital wallet" to distribute a 10,000 baht handout to 50 million Thais—his tenure was marked by delays and growing public dissatisfaction.

As Thailand's political landscape remains in flux, the next prime minister will be chosen from a list of candidates submitted before the 2023 election. To secure the position, a candidate must gain the support of more than half of the 493 lawmakers in the lower house. If no candidate achieves the necessary votes, the house will reconvene and repeat the process until a new leader is elected.

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