Ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra Removed by Court

Thailand’s Constitutional Court has removed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from office over allegations of ethical violations. Losing the premiership just one year into his term has sparked renewed concerns about political instability in the country.

According to the court ruling, in a leaked telephone call in June, Thaksin appeared to defer to former Cambodian leader Hun Sen due to personal connections. At that time, tensions along the two countries’ border had escalated and later erupted into five days of clashes. The court stated that this action undermined national interests and eroded public trust.

The 39-year-old Thaksin was Thailand’s youngest-ever prime minister and the sixth member of the Shinawatra family to be removed from power through military or judicial processes. This verdict deals another major blow to the political influence of the Shinawatra family in Thai politics.

A parliamentary vote will now determine the new prime minister, though no specific timeline for the election has been set. In the meantime, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai will serve as interim head of government.

Potential candidates include veteran Pheu Thai Party leader Chaiyasem Nitisiri, former army chief and ex-Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, and Anutin Charnvirakul, who recently broke away from Thaksin’s coalition following the phone call controversy.

Analysts believe this ruling is likely to trigger intense political maneuvering and power struggles in Thailand once again.