Thai court rejects case against Thaksin in reprieve for premier

BANGKOK - Thailand’s Constitutional Court dismissed a complaint against former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and his-family backed ruling party, a major reprieve for his daughter’s less than three-month old government.

The court will not proceed with a petition filed by an activist lawyer, it said in a statement on Nov 22. 

The plea by Mr Theerayuth Suwankaesorn – who was behind the dissolution of reformist Move Forward Party – seeks an order against Thaksin and Pheu Thai Party to stop them from all alleged attempts to overthrow the democratic regime of government with the king as head of state. 

A two-time former prime minister, Thaksin is not a member of Pheu Thai party though he’s considered its de facto leader.

Thailand’s most popular politician Thaksin is widely seen as wielding significant influence in setting the direction for the government headed by his youngest daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

For now, the dismissal eases some risks of political uncertainty and investor angst in a country still recovering from the same court’s shock order to remove then-prime minister Srettha Thavisin in an ethics violation case.

The court had also disbanded Thailand’s largest opposition party Move Forward over its campaign to amend a law prohibiting defamation of the royal family. 

Since taking power in September, Ms Paetongtarn’s new government has already come under legal scrutiny over her father’s alleged control over the ruling party and the Pheu Thai-led government.

Separately, the Election Commission has launched a probe into Thaksin’s alleged influence, based on a number of petitions filed by activists and Thaksin’s opponents.  

The 75-year-old former leader returned to Thailand in 2023 after 15 years in exile, in what’s seen as part of a deal with the royalist establishment to help conservative parties stay in power.

Since serving a royally-commuted jail term, Thaksin has been actively campaigning for Pheu Thai in local elections while making policy proposals to the government to revive the nation’s ailing economy.

Being under the control or influence of a non-party member is grounds for dissolution under Thai law. 

Thailand was plunged into political chaos earlier in 2024 with the charter court also ordering the dissolution of Thailand’s largest opposition party, Move Forward, for its election campaign to amend a law that protects the royal family from criticism.

The party won the general election last year but was prevented from forming a government by pro-royalist and military-backed groups that then aligned with former rival Pheu Thai. BLOOMBERG