Court suspends Thai PM

THAI Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended by the country’s Constitutional Court yesterday, while her father went on trial for royal defamation in the latest setbacks for the country’s dominant political dynasty.

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Thailand's affairs have been driven for years by a battle between the conservative, pro-military, pro-royalist elite and the Shinawatra clan, whom they consider a threat to the kingdom's traditional social order.

Paetongtarn took power less than a year ago and will be suspended while the Constitutional Court investigates whether she breached ministerial ethics during a diplomatic spat with Cambodia.

She told reporters at Bangkok’s Government House that she accepted the ruling.

“It’s always been my intention to do the best thing for my country,” she said. “I’d like to apologise to Thai people who are frustrated about this.”

The probe could take weeks or months and Thai media reports said that deputy prime minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, from her own Pheu Thai party, will initially take charge.

A key opposition politician called for new elections.

Rangsiman Rome, deputy leader of the opposition People’s Party - the successor to Move Forward, which won most votes in the 2023 general election - said that Paetongtarn had “lost her moral authority” and the ruling was “not surprising”.

“Dissolving parliament is the solution.”