Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was removed from office on 14 August 2024, after the Constitutional Court of the Kingdom of Thailand ruled that he had violated ethical standards over the appointment of Mr. Pichit Chuenban as Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Mr. Pichit, a former lawyer, had been charged in 2008 with offering a cash bribe of two million baht contained in a snack bag to court officials, when he was sentenced to six months in jail for contempt of court. He was appointed Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office on 28 April 2024, and he resigned from the post in May 2024.

Also, in May, the Constitutional Court accepted a petition from 40 senators seeking to dismiss Mr. Srettha from the post of the prime minister. The petition stated that the appointment of Mr. Pichit was unconstitutional, as it concerned a person with a bribery conviction. 

On 14 August, five of the court’s nine judges voted to remove Prime Minister Srettha, and the court ruled that the Prime Minister should have been well aware that he had appointed a person who seriously lacked moral integrity. The case of Mr. Pichit was well-known, so there should be no excuse.

Following the ruling of the court, members of the Cabinet were also dismissed, but they will remain in office in a caretaker capacity. Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai will serve as acting prime minister until a new prime minister is appointed.

In the next step, the House of Representatives will convene on 16 August 2024 to vote for the new prime minister, based on the list of candidates that was submitted prior to the May 2023 general election. After the new prime minister is appointed, the new Cabinet will be formed.

Mr. Srettha said that he respected the court’s decision. Concerning his key policies, he said, it is up to the next administration to consider them.