Daughter of former Thai Prime Minister Thavisin named as prime ministerial candidate

In Thailand, the country's new prime minister will be determined by a vote in parliament tomorrow, following the Constitutional Court's decision to remove Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office. Prior to the vote, 37-year-old Paetongtarn Thavisin, the daughter of Thavisin, was named as the prime ministerial candidate following discussions held by coalition parties.

In a statement released by Thailand's ruling Pheu Thai party and its coalition partners, it was announced that party leader Paetongtarn Thavisin would be nominated in tomorrow's parliamentary vote for the country's new leader.

Following the announcement of her candidacy, Paetongtarn Thavisin stated, "We are confident that our ruling party and coalition partners will lead our country in helping to address Thailand's economic crisis."

To be elected in the upcoming vote, Thavisin must secure at least 247 votes out of the 493 members of parliament from the ruling and coalition parties.

COURT HAD RULED FOR HIS REMOVAL

The Constitutional Court had ruled yesterday for the removal of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who had appointed Pichit Chuenban to the cabinet despite Chuenban having been sentenced to 6 months in prison for attempted bribery. The Constitutional Court ruled by a 5-to-4 vote to remove Thavisin from office on the grounds that he had violated "ethical standards" by displaying defiant behavior. Thavisin became the third prime minister to be removed from office by the court in the last 16 years. The Constitutional Court had accepted the petition for Thavisin's removal, signed by 40 senators, at the beginning of May.

INTERPRETED AS AN INDIRECT RETURN TO POLITICS

In Thailand, which has been going through a very tense political process in recent years, the Move Forward Party, the winner of the 2023 general elections, was recently dissolved on the grounds of royal laws known as "Lese Majeste," and a decision taken last week banned 10 of the party's leaders from politics.

Former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who left his country after the 2016 coup in Thailand and lived in exile for 15 years, returned to his country last year and applied for a royal pardon regarding the charges against him.

Following the royal pardon of the charges against former Prime Minister Thavisin and the dismissal of his cases, the nomination of his daughter, Paetongtarn Thavisin, as a prime ministerial candidate has been interpreted by the public as an indirect return of Thavisin to politics.