Key Issues and Challenges During Turbulent Tenure
Cases of Pro-Thaksin Prime Ministers Dismissed by Thailand''s Constitutional Court
On August 29, 2025, Thailand''s Constitutional Court ruled to remove Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra — the youngest PM in Thai history — after approximately one year in office. This is the latest in a 17-year pattern where five pro-Thaksin PMs were removed through Constitutional Court rulings.
Political Career Before PM
Paetongtarn is the youngest daughter of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra (2001-2006); her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra also served as PM (2011-2014). She was elected Pheu Thai Party leader in March 2022 and formally named as one of three PM candidates in the 2023 elections, polling first in surveys. She was nominated as sole PM candidate after predecessor Srettha Thavisin was removed by Constitutional Court ruling, winning a House vote in August 2024. She was criticized as riding on "dad''s connections" while positioning herself as a new face appealing to younger generations.
Key Challenges During Tenure
"Digital Wallet" economic policy: distributing 10,000 baht (approximately 37万 KRW) to approximately 50M low-income Thais 16 and older to stimulate the economy (2023 GDP growth was only 1.9% vs Vietnam/Indonesia at 5.5%). Fiscal sustainability concerns arose with total payouts estimated at 500B baht, with Fitch warning of negative effects on investment confidence. Foreign diplomatic scandal: leaked phone call with Cambodian power broker Hun Sen after May 2025 Thai-Cambodia border clashes. Call content included Paetongtarn calling Hun Sen "uncle" and disparaging the Thai military commander as "a person on the opposite side" who "doesn''t help the country." Support ratings plunged from 30.9% in March to 9.2% in June. Coalition partner Bhumjaithai Party withdrew declaring "we cannot work with a PM who sees the military as the enemy."
Court Ruling and Future Scenarios
Nine Constitutional Court justices unanimously ruled she violated constitutional ethics standards in her conduct toward Hun Sen — judging she "appeared to prioritize Hun Sen''s interests over national interests." Political instability has deepened, with new PM candidates limited to 5 qualified from the 2023 elections. Economic ripple effects: investor confidence weakening, Thai baht declining, FDI and tourism concerns amid this political turmoil. Thailand''s recurring political dilemma — elected pro-Thaksin forces forming governments challenged by conservative establishment (military, judiciary, royalists) through legal/institutional mechanisms — continues without signs of resolution, likely keeping Thai politics in turbulence for the foreseeable future.
