The Constitutional Court today (July 30, 2025) considered the request by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to extend the deadline for submitting her second defense statement regarding allegations brought against her. The request seeks an extension of 15 days due to the ongoing process of collecting evidence, which has yet to be fully compiled for a robust defense. The Court deemed the extension appropriate to ensure due process and the integrity of the justice system.
This new ruling, decided by a narrow majority of 5 to 4, allows Prime Minister Paetongtarn to extend her submission deadline to August 4, 2025—this will be the final extension granted.
If the Prime Minister fails to submit the statement within this period, the Constitutional Court will proceed with consideration according to the law.
This legal proceeding originated from a petition by 36 Senators (members of the Upper House), who submitted their concerns to Mr. Mongkol Surasajja, President of the Senate. The petition requested that the case be forwarded to the Constitutional Court to rule on Paetongtarn’s ministerial status, following the release of an audio clip on June 18, 2025. The recording contained a conversation between Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Hun Sen, President of Cambodia’s Senate.
Paetongtarn publicly acknowledged the voice was hers but insisted the exchange was a private conversation intended to preserve the peace and sovereignty of Thailand. However, the Senators behind the petition contend that her actions were inconsistent with the expected conduct of a Prime Minister and may be unconstitutional.
The petition calls on the Constitutional Court to rule under Section 170, Paragraph 3 in conjunction with Section 82 of the Constitution regarding the termination of her ministerial status as per Section 170, Paragraph 1 (4) in conjunction with Sections 160 (4) and (5). It also requests the Court to order her to suspend official duties until a verdict is reached. The Constitutional Court has already ruled for Paetongtarn to cease performing her duties as Prime Minister as of July 1, 2025.
