Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn is ousted by the Constitutional Court for breaching ethical standards

Thailand is bracing for political change following the dismissal of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra by the Constitutional Court. The ruling, which came after an ethics violation was found in a leaked June telephone call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen, has ordered the dissolution of the entire cabinet.

Paetongtarn, who became the youngest prime minister in Thailand's history and a political neophyte when she took office a year ago, was found to have violated ethics by suggesting a lack of unity between the government and the military in the controversial phone call. The call was made at a time when Thailand was restricting border crossings with Cambodia, adding fuel to the fire of the ongoing border dispute.

The court ruling brings an end to the premiership of Paetongtarn, the daughter and protege of Thaksin Shinawatra, and marks the sixth time a prime minister from or backed by the Shinawatra family has been removed by the military or judiciary. The decision paves the way for the election of a new prime minister by parliament.

According to Stithorn Thananithichot, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, the appointment of a new prime minister may take considerable time. The possible candidates for the new Prime Minister of Thailand were Anutin Charnvirakul, chairman of the Bhumjaithai Party, and Chaikasem Nitisiri from the Pheu Thai Party. Anutin Charnvirakul was elected with 311 out of 490 votes in the House of Representatives. However, there are only five people eligible to become prime minister, with only one from Pheu Thai, Chaikasem Nitisiri.

Any Pheu Thai administration would likely have only a slender majority and could face frequent parliamentary challenges from an opposition with huge public support. This political uncertainty comes at a time of simmering public unease over stalled reforms and a stuttering economy expected to grow just 2.3% this year.

Thailand opposed Cambodia's intention to bring border issues to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on June 15, the same day of Paetongtarn's phone call. The prime minister's apology came after the leaked phone call, where she tried to avert a war with Cambodia. The ruling thrusts Thailand into more political uncertainty at a time when the country needs stability more than ever.

Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn is ousted by the Constitutional Court for breaching ethical standards