Thailand’s Constitutional Court dismissed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office today for an ethics violation after only a year in power. Ms Paetongtarn, who was Thailand’s youngest prime minister, becomes the sixth premier from or backed by the Shinawatra family to be removed by the military or judiciary in a two-decade battle for power between the country’s warring elites.
In its verdict, the court said, Paetongtarn violated ethics in a leaked June telephone call. It said, during the call, she appeared to kowtow to Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen when both countries were on the brink of an armed border conflict.
Fighting erupted weeks later and lasted five days. The court said, Paetongtarn had put her private interests before those of the nation and damaged the reputation of the country. The decision paves the way for the election by parliament of a new prime minister.
