Thailand’s constitutional court has temporarily suspended prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office until it rules on a petition seeking her ouster for alleged ethical violations — the biggest blow yet to her less-than one-year-old government.
Paetongtarn’s powers will be suspended from Tuesday while the nine-member court considers the petition by a group of senators, it said in a statement.
The decision to suspend her duties was backed by seven out of nine judges, according to the statement.
The petitioners allege that the prime minister’s comments in a leaked phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen constitute a violation of ethical standards — grounds that could lead to her disqualification.
The case is the latest in a series of legal challenges faced by Paetongtarn, who came to power after her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, was ousted last year in a similar ethics-related case.
The youngest daughter of influential former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, Paetongtarn has resisted mounting calls to resign over the leaked phone call, in which she criticised the Thai army’s role in a border standoff with Cambodia.
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The court’s decision came just days after thousands of protesters rallied in Bangkok demanding her resignation.
Paetongtarn, who has refused to step down even after the defection of a key coalition party left her government on the brink, is in the process of revamping her cabinet to solidify support among remaining allies.
The political turmoil has dented the 38-year-old prime minister’s popularity.
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Support for Paetongtarn fell to single digits in a recent opinion poll, with only 9.2% of respondents backing her, according to a June 19 to 25 survey by the National Institute of Development Administration.
That compares with 30.9% support in the previous survey conducted in March.
The court case and threat of escalating public protests may further sour investor sentiment toward Thai assets, already weighed down by concerns over economic growth slowing to a post-pandemic low.
Investors have sold a net US$2.3 billion ($2.93 billion) in Thai equities this year, while the country’s benchmark index has dropped about 22%, making it one of the worst-performing major stock markets globally.
Paetongtarn has tried to tide over the political crisis by apologizing for the phone call leak, and said she is prepared to cooperate fully with the legal process.
Her opponents have also approached the anti-graft agency and the election commission in efforts to force her resignation.
Meanwhile, the border dispute with Cambodia has intensified, with both countries enacting tit-for-tat measures to restrict trade and cross-border movement.
Last week, Hun Sen — father of current Cambodian prime minister Hun Manet — called for a leadership change in Thailand, saying he doubted Paetongtarn’s ability to resolve the escalating conflict.
