Thai court sacks Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin

Thailand’s constitutional court sacked Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office over an ethical violation as yet another of India’s neighbors slipped into political turmoil this month.

The prime minister violated the provisions on integrity and ethical standards by choosing a discredited lawyer as a cabinet minister in April, the nine-member court said. The court made a narrow 5-4 decision in favor of sacking Thavisin and his cabinet.

Senators had moved the court accusing Thavisin of an ethical violation after he appointed Pichit Chuenban, a former lawyer representing ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s family, to his cabinet in April.

Chuenban was convicted in 2008 and sentenced to six months in jail for attempting to bribe court officials while arguing for Shinawatra. He quit the cabinet in May, claiming the charges were politically motivated.

Thavisin, who had stormed to power exactly a year ago by allying with pro-royalist and military-backed parties, was one of three key candidates of the Pheu Thai Party during the general election campaign last year.

He became the 30th Prime Minister of Thailand after winning 482 votes in his favor in a joint sitting of the House and Senate in August last year.

Leading English newspaper Bangkok Post said the court’s ruling terminates all positions in Thavisin’s cabinet. However, the ministers will stay in a caretaker capacity, with deputy prime minister Phumtham Wechyachai serving as acting PM until a new leader is selected by the House of Representatives.

Following the court’s decision on Wednesday, Thavisin told the media that he was saddened by the verdict and hoped that Parliament would soon elect the next prime minister.

Thailand’s benchmark stock index declined about 1.3% on Wednesday, while the Thai baht pared gains to trade little changed against the dollar.

The constitutional court’s ruling came days after the same court dissolved Thailand’s main opposition, the Move Forward party, which had claimed the most seats in the election last year before the Thavisin-led coalition took over.

In June, Thavisin dialed Modi after the latter was elected Prime Minister for a third time, expressing his readiness to strengthen Thai-Indian relations.

He announced plans to visit India later this year to discuss cooperation between the two countries and initiatives within the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), aiming to elevate the strategic partnership between Thailand and India.