Thailand appoints another acting prime minister amid political turmoil

The state has had 3 leaders successful arsenic galore days, pursuing a court’s determination to suspend Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

Thailand has ushered successful the assignment of its 2nd interim premier curate this week, pursuing the Constitutional Court’s suspension of the country’s leader, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, fuelled by a phone telephone scandal with a cardinal Cambodian governmental figure.

Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai assumed caretaker responsibilities connected Thursday, 2 days aft Paetongtarn was banned from duties, a authorities connection connected Thursday confirmed.

In a station connected societal media, the Thai authorities said that Phumtham’s relation arsenic acting premier curate had been agreed astatine the archetypal gathering of a caller cabinet, which took spot soon aft ministers were sworn successful by King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

The 71-year-old replaces Suriya Jungrungreangkit, who lone carried retired the relation for 1 time up of the reshuffle.

The interim appointments occurred aft Paetongtarn was temporarily barred from bureau earlier this week implicit allegations that she breached ministerial morals successful a leaked telephone speech with Cambodia’s influential erstwhile leader, Hun Sen.

The telephone took spot successful mid-June with the purpose of defusing caller border tensions betwixt the 2 countries pursuing an eruption of unit that killed a Cambodian soldier.

Critics successful Thailand expressed choler astatine Paetongtarn’s determination to telephone Hun Sen “Uncle” and to criticise a Thai service commander.

Thailand’s suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra leaves Government House aft a furniture gathering successful Bangkok connected July 3, 2025 [Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP]

The Constitutional Court accepted a petition from 36 senators, which claimed that the 38-year-old had violated the constitution successful her speech with Hun Sen.

It said determination was “sufficient origin to suspect” Paetongtarn had breached ministerial ethics, with an probe present nether mode into the incident.

Before her suspension began, Paetongtarn appointed herself arsenic civilization curate successful the caller cabinet. She was sworn successful to the presumption astatine the Grand Palace connected Thursday.

Paetongtarn’s authorities had struggled to revive a flagging economy, with an sentiment canvass successful precocious June suggesting that her popularity had dropped to 9.2 percent from 30.9 percent successful March.

Thailand’s political dynasty has been facing ineligible peril connected 2 fronts, arsenic a abstracted tribunal hears a royal defamation suit against her father, erstwhile premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thaksin has denied the charges against him and repeatedly pledged allegiance to the crown.

Thaksin dodged jail and spent six months successful infirmary detention connected aesculapian grounds earlier being released connected parole successful February past year. The Supreme Court volition this month scrutinise that infirmary enactment and could perchance nonstop him backmost to jail.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies