In a landmark case, the Constitutional Court has ruled by a 5-4 vote that Srettha Thavisin is to be removed as prime minister due to breaching ethical guidelines in appointing a minister. In a cabinet reshuffle, Srettha had appointed Pichit Chuenban, who previously served a prison sentence for attempting to bribe a court, as minister attached to the Prime Minister’s office. The case had been brought forward by a group of senators widely reported to be aligned with former deputy prime minister and current leader of the Palang Pracharath Party Prawit Wongsuwan.

Srettha had served as prime minister for less than a year, after a Pheu Thai government was forged out of a grand compromise with the conservative parties in the aftermath of the 2023 general election. A property tycoon and political novice, Srettha’s premiership was marked by a flurry of attempts to uplift international investment and tourism, but major initiatives such as a 10,000 baht giveaway failed to take off. Both the future of that policy, and that of Srettha’s long-term “Ignite Thailand” vision, will now be in limbo. 

At only 358 days, Srettha’s premiership is one of the shortest in recent history. Since 2001, only Samak Sundaravej and Somchai Wongsawat, two former prime ministers also aligned with Thaksin Shinawatra and also removed by the Constitutional Court, have been prime minister for shorter. After Thaksin, who won re-election in 2005 and was then removed by a military coup in 2006, not a single Thaksinite prime minister has served a full term in office.

Click here to read the full piece at Thai Enquirer.