Thai PM Srettha Thavisin removed from office for breaching ethics over cabinet appointment

Thailand's Constitutional Court has removed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office on Wednesday (Aug. 14) after less than a year in power for breaching ethics over a cabinet appointment.

A real estate tycoon, Srettha became Thailand's Prime Minister in August last year.

While in power, he appointed former lawyer Pichit Chuenban who served six months in jail on a bribery case to his cabinet,  Reuters and Nikkei reported.

The court in May accepted a petition filed by 40 senators in May seeking to remove Srettha from his position.

The constitution states that a minister must "not have behaviour which is a serious violation of or failure to comply with ethical standards" or face termination of his or her ministership upon breaching the rule.

Srettha said that Pichit's appointment to the ministerial position was done legally and carefully.

The Constitutional Court's ruling is final and cannot be appealed.

Must choose new minister

Srettha's removal from the office means that the parliament must now convene to choose a new Prime Minister.

Just last week, the same court dissolved opposition Move Forward Party after it was accused of undermining Thailand's system of governance through its plan to reform Thailand's law on royal insults, also known as its Lese Majesty law, with the court calling it unconstitutional.

The MFP won the most seats in Thailand's 2023 parliamentary elections, and while it was able to assemble an eight-party coalition which had a majority in the lower house, it could not gain the support of enough Senators to form a government.

Eventually, the Pheu Thai party, closely linked to the former exiled Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, broke with the MFP, and formed the government with conservative parties, making Srettha Thavisin Thailand's PM.

Top image via เศรษฐา ทวีสิน - Srettha Thavisin/Facebook