The real estate mogul entered the Thai political landscape only last year.
Bangkok: Thailand's Constitutional Court has dismissed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office over breach of ethics for appointing a former lawyer to his cabinet who had been jailed 16 years ago. The development comes exactly a week after the main opposition Move Forward Party was dissolved.
The judges voted 5-4 to oust Srettha after ruling that the Prime Minister had violated the constitution by appointing Pichit Chuenban as a minister in his office. As many as 40 former Senators had petitioned the court, questioning Srettha's decision despite the country's constitution stipulating that ministers must be "of evident integrity" and their behavior must comply with ethical standards.
Srettha, a real estate mogul, entered the often shaky Thai political landscape only last year. In August 2023, he was elected as the Southeast Asian kingdom's new PM after winning a simple majority in a parliamentary vote, setting the stage for Pheu Thai Party's candidate to form the country's next government.
Local media reported that Deputy PM Phumtham Wechayachai is likely to be appointed as a caretaker PM till the country's Parliament is convened to vote for the next Prime Minister. On August 7, the same court dissolved the main opposition Move Forward Party, ruling its efforts to amend a law against defaming the kingdom's royal family violated the constitution.
