A court in Thailand on Wednesday removed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office over an ethical violation, further shaking up Thai politics after it ordered the dissolution of the main opposition party a week ago. The Constitutional Court ruled on a case involving Srettha’s appointment of a Cabinet member who had been jailed in connection with an alleged attempt to bribe a court official. The court voted 5-4 against Srettha and the ruling removed him from office immediately. The Cabinet will remain in place on a caretaker basis until Parliament approves a new prime minister. A vote was scheduled by Parliament on Friday, but it has no time limit for filling the position. The caretaker Cabinet could also dissolve Parliament and call a new election. Srettha, speaking at Government House shortly after the verdict, thanked the judges for giving him the opportunity to defend himself. He said he respected the ruling and that he always sought to act ethically during his time in office, which was less than a year.
