Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Friday threw suspended prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra out of office over her handling of the country’s border row with Cambodia.
Paetongtarn, daughter of controversial billionaire ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was suspended from office last month after being accused of failing to stand up for Thailand in a June call with powerful former Cambodian leader Hun Sen, audio of which was leaked online.
The verdict plunged Thailand into a political crisis, with no obvious candidate on hand to lead the fragile ruling coalition in parliament.
The ruling comes a week after a criminal court cleared Thaksin, 76, of royal insult charges in a case that could have seen him jailed for up to 15 years.
Paetongtarn’s case centres on her call with Hun Sen, Cambodia’s long-time ruler and father of its current premier, during which the pair discussed their respective countries’ then-brewing row over their disputed border.
Paetongtarn addressed Hun Sen as “uncle” and referred to a Thai military commander as her “opponent”, sparking a furious reaction in Thailand, where the armed forces hold huge sway.
