Thailand set for another acting PM after cabinet reshuffle
The Southeast Asian nation's top office was plunged into turmoil on Tuesday when the Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra pending an ethics probe which could take months.
Power passed to transport minister and deputy prime minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit who took office for only one full day, as the bombshell was dropped in an awkward interim ahead of the reshuffle.
When former defense minister Phumtham Wechayachai is sworn into his new position as interior minister he will also take on a deputy prime minister role outranking Suriya's — thus becoming the acting premier.
Before Paetongtarn was ousted she assigned herself the role of culture minister in the new cabinet, meaning she is set to keep a perch in the upper echelons of power.
She arrived at the Government House on Thursday morning for a group portrait before heading to the Grand Palace to meet King Maha Vajiralongkorn for the closed-door oath-taking.
The newly-appointed cabinet is set to hold its first meeting Thursday afternoon, with a royal statement expected in the evening.
The revolving door of leadership comes as the kingdom is battling to revive a spluttering economy and secure a US trade deal averting President Donald Trump's looming threat of a 36 percent tariff.
Phumtham is considered a loyal lieutenant to the suspended Paetongtarn and her father Thaksin Shinawatra, the powerful patriarch of a dynasty which has dominated Thai 21st-century politics.
Thaksin-linked parties have been jousting with the pro-military, pro-conservative establishment since the early 2000s, but analysts say the family's political brand has now entered decline.
The 71-year-old Phumtham earned the nickname 'Big Comrade' for his association with a left-wing youth movement of the 1970s, but transitioned to politics through a role in Thaksin's telecoms empire.
In previous cabinets he held the defense and commerce portfolios, and spent a spell as acting prime minister after a crisis engulfed the top office last year.
Paetongtarn has been hobbled over a longstanding territorial dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, which boiled over into cross-border clashes in May, killing one Cambodian soldier.
When she made a diplomatic call to Cambodian ex-leader Hun Sen, she called him 'uncle' and referred to a Thai military commander as her 'opponent,' according to a leaked recording causing widespread backlash.
A conservative party abandoned her ruling coalition — sparking the cabinet reshuffle — accusing her of kowtowing to Cambodia and undermining the military.
The Constitutional Court said there was 'sufficient cause to suspect' Paetongtarn breached ministerial ethics in the diplomatic spat.
bur-sjc/jts/mtp
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
13 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
China says supports Iran in resisting ‘bullying,' respects peaceful use of nuclear energy
China will continue to support Iran in safeguarding its national sovereignty and dignity, and in 'resisting power politics and bullying,' Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart on Wednesday. 'China attaches importance to Iran's commitment not to develop nuclear weapons and respects Iran's right to peacefully use nuclear energy,' Wang said, according to a readout released by his ministry. Beijing is willing to continue to play a constructive role in promoting the settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue and maintaining stability in the Middle East, Wang said, adding that China appreciates Tehran's efforts to achieve peace through diplomacy.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Arab News
Iraq plans to build 10 dams to harvest desert rains, as drought displaces 10,000 families in Dhi Qar
LONDON: Iraq has announced plans to build 10 dams to harvest water in desert areas, as part of an urgent strategy to boost water security amid dwindling supplies. The effects of climate change and the construction of dams in neighboring countries, including Turkiye, have significantly affected water levels of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which are vital lifelines for Iraqis. The Iraqi minister of water resources, Awn Dhiab Abdullah, said on Monday that the dams would store floodwater and rainwater in the desert to build up strategic reserves, especially in provinces lacking in surface-water resources. 'The shortage the country is experiencing is the most dangerous in its history, forcing 12 provinces to rely exclusively on groundwater to cover their various needs,' he said. Dhi Qar, which is in southern Iraq, has experienced one of its worst summers on record, with severe water shortages and drought forcing nearly 10,000 families in rural areas to abandon their homes and migrate to urban areas. Abdullah said that more than half of Iraq's desert region relies on groundwater supplies. He emphasized the importance of water-harvesting projects and the need to reduce dependence on traditional sources.
Arab News
3 days ago
- Arab News
EU and Indonesia announce ‘political agreement' on trade deal
BRUSSELS: EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Sunday announced a 'political agreement' to conclude a long-awaited free trade deal, as US leader Donald Trump upends global commerce. 'We're living in turbulent times and when economic uncertainty meets geopolitical volatility, partners like us must come closer together. So today we're taking a big step forward in this partnership,' von der Leyen told journalists in Brussels. 'I am very pleased to report that we have just reached a political agreement on an ambitious Free Trade Agreement.' The 27-nation European bloc and Southeast Asia's largest economy have been negotiating since 2016 to agree a deal that is expected to increase trade and investment. A European Commission statement called Sunday's agreement a 'decisive milestone' toward striking the deal — which is to be concluded in September by EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic and Indonesia's chief economic minister Airlangga Hartarto. 'There's a lot of untapped potential in our trade relationship. And therefore this agreement comes at the right time, because the new agreement will open new markets,' von der Leyen said. 'It will create more opportunities in key industries, in business activity and agriculture, in automotive and in services.' Brussels has stepped up efforts to improve ties with key potential partners around the world as Trump threatens a trade war with sweeping tariffs. 'This big and important political agreement on the free trade agreement with Indonesia is today a huge milestone forward, and shows that we're looking for new markets, open markets,' von der Leyen said. Prabowo called the announcement in Brussels a 'breakthrough.' 'After 10 years of negotiations, we have concluded the agreement to have a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which basically is a free trade agreement,' he said. The president said 'we consider Europe still a very important factor, and we would like to see a very strong Europe.' But he insisted that 'the United States will be always a very important leader in the world.' The European Union is Indonesia's fifth-largest trading partner with bilateral trade between them reaching $30.1 billion last year. Ties had been frayed by a proposed EU import ban on products linked to deforestation that has angered Indonesia because it is a major palm oil exporter. That legislation has been delayed to the end of this year.
