By Thai Newsroom Reporters
DE FACTO PHEU THAI BOSS Thaksin Shinawatra could tell his embattled daughter-turned-prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra sooner than later to resign as head of government to spare herself further damage from a critical legal battle in court whilst he himself could manipulate again the naming of a new one, according to a noted legal scholar.
Thammasat University’s law lecturer Prinya Thaewanarumitkul suggested the power-playing Thaksin could probably see for himself that his daughter who has been suspended by the Constitutional Court from performing executive duties as head of government already has had enough of stigma and damage since she was accused of perpetrating severe misconduct pertaining to Thai-Cambodian border conflict and tell the woman prime minister to step down before the court delivers a verdict on it as soon as within this month or next.
Thaksin has categorically contended that Paetongtarn was innocent of all charges and would undoubtedly encourage her to fight the legal battle until the end after she has encountered an impeachment lawsuit filed by senators on grounds of committing the critical wrongdoing in breach of the ethical code and lack of evident honesty, either purposely or inadvertently, during last month’s leaked telephone conversation with Cambodian leader Hun Sen. The allegedly disreputable, submissive act on her part was deemed detrimental to Thailand’s territorial integrity as well as national interests and prestige.
However, Prinya advised the de facto Pheu Thai boss to opt out, with his besieged daughter giving up and resigning, otherwise she would likely be found guilty by court and deposed of her prime-ministerial status, thus rendering more disgrace and damage to herself, her family and the Pheu Thai-led government due to her poor handling of Thai-Cambodian border tensions.
In case of Paetongtarn’s resignation, Thaksin could still manipulate the naming of a certain person for prime minister to replace her the way he had earlier done to land Srettha Thavisin the elected premiership in 2023 and his daughter last year.
Thaksin could effortlessly take the chance to keep his ruling party in power with himself continuing to mastermind and steer it in hush-hush fashion or else the Bhumjaithai under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob or other camps could possibly take the helm of government in his place, the Thammasat academic remarked.
Pheu Thai MP Chaikasem Nitisiri who could possibly be named prime minister no matter if Paetongtarn may eventually step down or be ousted by court since he was one of a trio of partisan contestants for prime minister in the previous election would more or less listen to the de facto Pheu Thai boss.
A new prime minister may run the country as an “interim” head of government for a number of months or until the latter part of this year and then dissolve the House of Representatives to call a general election in a 60-day period as provided by law.
On top of the agenda with which the new head of government will be tasked are the finalising of the 2026 budget bill, currently in the House Budget Committee scrutiny process, the United States’ 36% import tariff for Thai goods effective from August 1 and the sustained Thai-Cambodian border disputes, among others.
CAPTIONS:
Top: De facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra and his daughter/suspended prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Photo: Thai Rath
Insert: Academic Prinya Thaewanarumitkul. Photo: Thai Rath
Front Page: De facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra. Photo: Thai Rath
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