18-6-2024 (BANGKOK) Thailand’s political landscape is bracing for a pivotal day as four high-profile legal cases involving key political figures are scheduled to unfold in the nation’s courts on Tuesday, June 18th. These cases carry the potential to plunge Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy into a new period of uncertainty, reigniting long-standing rifts between the conservative-royalist establishment and its opponents.
The cases in question involve some of Thailand’s most powerful political heavyweights, including the current prime minister, and could deepen the decades-old divide that has plagued the country’s political arena. Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a prominent political scientist at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University, warned of the gravity of the situation, telling Reuters, “The political parties and representatives that voters have chosen are being systematically and repeatedly stymied.”
Pongsudhirak underscored the immense power wielded by Thailand’s courts, stating, “A single petition can bring down a sitting, elected government or oust a prime minister.” He further cautioned, “There’s a judicial assertiveness that has been damaging to Thailand, subverting popular will and popular mandates.”
These tensions have historically triggered violent street protests, dissolutions of political parties, airport closures, and even military coups, all of which have hamstrung the nation’s economic progress.
The spectre of a potential political crisis has already rattled the Thai stock markets. The main stock index plummeted to its lowest level since November 2020 on Monday, shedding 8.4% of its value so far this year, earning the dubious distinction of being Asia’s worst-performing market.
At the heart of these legal battles lies the billionaire former premier, Thaksin Shinawatra, aged 74, a powerful backer of the ruling government. Shinawatra faces the possibility of pre-trial detention if he is denied bail on Tuesday after being formally indicted for allegedly insulting the monarchy during a 2015 media interview.
Concurrently, the Constitutional Court will conduct a hearing in a case lodged by a group of senators that could potentially see Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin dismissed from office for breaching the law by appointing a lawyer with a conviction record to his cabinet.
The same court will also hear a case seeking to disband the popular opposition Move Forward Party for their campaign to amend the country’s royal insult law, following a complaint by the Election Commission.
The Constitutional Court is expected to announce the next hearing or verdict date for the cases involving Srettha and Move Forward on Tuesday.
Additionally, the court will rule on the legality of the ongoing selection process for a new upper house, which commenced earlier this month and is scheduled to conclude in early July. If the court cancels or delays the process, it would temporarily extend the term of military-appointed senators who played a crucial role in the formation of the previous government.
