Thailand is bracing for heightened governmental instability as its courts prepare to handle a trio of politically contentious cases next week, potentially leading to significant repercussions in the country.
The Constitutional Court announced on Wednesday that it would commence proceedings on June 18 in a case involving Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. The case was initiated following a complaint lodged by 40 military-appointed senators in May, alleging a breach of the constitution by the Prime Minister through a cabinet appointment.
Simultaneously, the court disclosed plans to convene a hearing next Tuesday in response to a case brought forth by the country’s election commission, which aims to dissolve the opposition Move Forward Party. Despite unexpectedly emerging as the victor in last year’s general election, the opposition party’s efforts to form a government were thwarted by the conservative-royalist establishment.
Additionally, the influential former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who returned to Thailand in August following a 15-year self-imposed exile, is set to face formal indictment in a criminal court on Tuesday for charges of lese majeste and computer crime.
The culmination of these high-profile court cases has escalated political uncertainty in Thailand, causing disruptions in the country’s markets. While Srettha, Thaksin, and the Move Forward Party have all refuted any allegations of misconduct, the outcomes of these cases have heightened the potential for political turbulence in Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy.
