Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended while the Constitutional Court evaluates a petition for her removal. The suspension followed public protests after a leaked conversation with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen, raising accusations of undermining national interests. Political experts suggest her legitimacy as head of the Pheu Thai party has been compromised. While Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungruangkit will act as prime minister, Paetongtarn remains culture minister, though predictions indicate she may soon be dismissed, continuing a concerning trend for the Pheu Thai party.
"Paetongtarn has destroyed the legitimacy of her Pheu Thai party [to run the country], especially after her call with Hun Sen," she told DW.
"The parliament will vote for a new prime minister and Pheu Thai could probably hold out a bit longer, but not long, no more than three months," she predicted.
"She will most likely be dismissed, given how things have gone previously," Punchada Sirivunnabood, a professor of political science at Thailand's Mahidol University, told DW.
If Paetongtarn is eventually removed, the 38-year-old would be the second prime minister from Pheu Thai to be dismissed since August last year.
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