Srettha Dismissal As PM Shocks Many Thais

 BANGKOK, Aug 15 (Bernama) -- The dismissal of Srettha Thavisin as the Prime Minister of Thailand, who only served 11 months, has shocked many Thais.

A Political Scientist from Sukhothai Thammathirat University, Associate Professor Dr Yuttaporn Issarachai, said that the Constitutional Court’s decision was very unexpected.

"Thai politics is always unpredictable, and from now on, we have to look at the new government," he told Bernama when contacted here, on Thursday.

He said the battle between the ideology of the People’s Party and the current coalition parties will be intense.

However, Somchai Chanma, 27, a food vendor in Bangkok, said he is very disappointed with the Court's decision, as Srettha worked very hard for the people.

Somchai noted that he was looking forward towards the implementation of the digital wallet policy for people, but it never materialised.

"The economy is already bad, and now it will worsen. I hope the prime minister will still come from Pheu Thai party and stabilise both the politics and economy," he added.

The Constitutional Court on Wednesday ruled that Srettha is guilty of violating the Constitution for appointing Pichit Chuenban as a minister, despite knowing about Pichit's past conviction for contempt of court.

In a majority vote of 5 to 4, the Constitutional Court ruled that Srettha’s position had indeed ceased to exist due to a lack of integrity, which is a disqualification under Article 160 (4) of the Constitution, and that his conduct violated the serious ethical standards outlined in Article 160 (5).

Srettha, 62, was a real estate executive before entering politics and was sworn in as the 30th Prime Minister of Thailand on Sept 5.

In late 2022, he announced his intention to join the Pheu Thai Party and was subsequently considered one of its prime ministerial candidates.

-- BERNAMA