Thailand’s Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, was ousted by the Constitutional Court on Wednesday due to an ethics violation related to the appointment of a former lawyer with a previous prison record to his cabinet.
Following this development, the cabinet will transition into a caretaker role, with Commerce Minister and Deputy Premier Phumtham Wechayachai stepping in as the acting Prime Minister.
Political parties will need to identify and vote for their preferred candidate from a list of nominees submitted prior to the 2023 election. The selection process is expected to involve negotiations among parties for potential cabinet positions.
The house speaker will coordinate the parliamentary session for the lower house to vote on the next Prime Minister, with no set timeframe specified for the convening of the vote.
To secure the position of Prime Minister, a candidate must garner the support of over half of the lower house’s current 493 lawmakers, equating to at least 247 votes. Failure to reach this threshold would necessitate a subsequent parliamentary session for repeated voting, presenting an opportunity for additional candidates to be put forward. The ruling 11-party coalition government holds 314 seats in the lower house.
Subsequently, the newly appointed Prime Minister must establish a cabinet, which is then required to present its policy agenda to parliament before assuming governance duties.
Among the potential candidates vying for the role of Thailand’s Prime Minister after the removal of Srettha Thavisin are notable figures such as:
- Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the Pheu Thai Party leader and the daughter of billionaire, Thaksin Shinawatra.
- Chaikasem Nitisiri, a former Justice Minister and prominent member of the Pheu Thai Party.
- Anutin Charnvirakul, the Interior Minister and Deputy Premier who advocated for the legalization of cannabis in Thailand. Anutin is also the leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, the second-largest party in the coalition government.
- Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, the Energy Minister and former Justice Minister who heads the conservative Thai Raksa Chart party.
- Prawit Wongsuwan, a prominent former army chief and leader of the conservative and military-aligned Palang Pracharat Party. Prawit, known for his political maneuvering, played a role in the last two coups against Shinawatra governments.
