The ouster is the death blow for the country’s attempt at legalizing casinos
Thailand’s push to legalize casinos has come to an abrupt halt following the removal of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office. Recently, the country’s Constitutional Court voted 6-3 to oust her for ethical misconduct, a decision that also led to the dismissal of her entire Cabinet. The ruling marks the sixth time since 2008 that a Thai leader has been removed by court order and the third instance involving a member of the Shinawatra family.
The case centered on a phone call between Paetongtarn and former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. During the conversation, she allegedly criticized the Thai military’s handling of a May 28 border clash that resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier.
That call was leaked publicly, prompting 36 senators to file a petition that led to her suspension in July. After weeks of deliberation, the court ruled that Paetongtarn’s conduct violated the standards of honesty and integrity required of a sitting Prime Minister.
Her removal follows in the footsteps of her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed in 2006, and her aunt Yingluck, who was forced out in 2014. Paetongtarn herself had only been in office since 2023, when she replaced Srettha Thavisin, who was also ousted for ethics violations.
The immediate fallout extends beyond political turmoil. With the Cabinet dissolved, the government’s Entertainment Complex Bill—which aimed to introduce integrated casino resorts as part of broader economic reforms—is now considered dead.
The bill had already been pulled from the House agenda in July amid uncertainty surrounding Paetongtarn’s suspension, and her removal has all but guaranteed that casino legalization is no longer on the table.
For Thailand, the leadership vacuum underscores both the fragility of its political system and the challenges of advancing controversial economic initiatives in an environment marked by frequent court interventions and leadership shakeups.
