Chousak Sirinil, Minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office and Deputy Leader of the Pheu Thai Party for Legal Affairs, revealed on the “Inside Thailand” program that the Constitutional Court’s order requiring Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to suspend her duties does not retroactively affect the Cabinet meeting held on July 1, 2025, which held before the court order. At that time, she was still serving as Prime Minister and had ordered the meeting to proceed quickly.
Regarding the issue of whether any potential ethical problems relating to Paetongtarn’s position as Prime Minister would carry over to her role as Minister of Culture, Chousak said that, at present, no court has ruled that the Prime Minister is disqualified. The Constitutional Court has merely accepted the petition for consideration and has requested a response within 15 days, which must be done according to the prescribed time frame.
Since the court has only ordered her to suspend her duties as Prime Minister, and not any other role. Therefore, in this case, the Prime Minister retains all her qualifications and capacity to perform all duties — no prohibitions have yet been established, said Chousak.
In response to academics or former judges who suggest that the qualifications for Prime Minister and Minister are essentially the same, Chousak stated he does not disagree, but if the court rules for a ban, it would be equivalent to judging that Paetongtarn lacks qualifications—which is not the current legal position.
When asked if, in the future, someone might file a complaint against Paetongtarn as Minister of Culture by referencing the leaked audio clip of her conversation with Hun Sen, President of the Cambodian Senate, Chousak explained that any petition under Section 160 or Section 170 of the Constitution must be based on cause.
He does not currently see a cause for such a petition, especially to disqualify a minister, as there needs to be a clear act causing the disqualification, not just suspicion. Thus, bringing up the audio clip does not constitute sufficient grounds for a qualification petition against her as Minister of Culture.
Chousak further addressed the position of “Acting Prime Minister” during Paetongtarn’s suspension from duties. At present, Suriya Jungrungreangkit, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, is the acting Prime Minister.
As for public questions on whether the acting Prime Minister can lead the new ministers to be sworn in before His Majesty the King on July 3, dissolve the House, or reshuffle the Cabinet, Chousak stated there are no prohibitions—the Constitution does not restrict such powers.
He also explained that if the parliament is dissolved, the current government must act as a caretaker administration until a new election and government are installed.
Certain rules must be followed, such as banning budget-related actions, prohibiting commitments to budget obligations, transferring or appointments of civil servants, and following all constitutional constraints—especially those that impact the electoral process.
