Groundhog day as Thai court sacks PM Paetongtarn and Shinawatra clan runs out of options
Thailand faces political paralysis, with no obvious candidate on hand to lead the fragile ruling coalition in parliament
Paetongtarn, 39, the daughter of divisive but influential billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra, becomes the second leader in two years from the Pheu Thai-led coalition to be removed for an ethics breach by the same bench.
In it, she repeatedly called Hun Sen “uncle” and denigrated a Thai army commander on the border as an “opponent” – a red line to the court, which said it went against national interests.
Paetongtarn said the call was a genuine private effort to defuse tensions, which a few weeks later escalated into a brief conflict that killed dozens on both sides.
But ending her short-lived time in office, the court said Paetongtarn had “lacked demonstrable honesty and integrity and seriously violated or failed to comply with ethical standards”.