MNI POLITICAL RISK ANALYSIS-Lawfare Upends Thai Politics Again
Aug-21 07:50By: Krzysztof Kruk
Thailand
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Executive Summary
- A series of three high-profile court cases scheduled to take place in quick succession over the next few weeks represents a critical juncture in Thailand’s political cycle.
- A decline in popular support for the ruling Pheu Thai Party (PTP) and its leaders deprive them of their traditional advantage ahead of the looming legal ordeal.
- Unfavourable verdicts against key members of the powerful Shinawatra clan could exacerbate headwinds for the beleaguered PTP administration.
| Date | Time | Case | Description |
| August 22 | 04:00BST/10:00ICT | Criminal Court to rule on Thaksin Shinawatra's lèse-majesté case | The case revolves around an interview given by Thaksin to South Korean media a decade ago, the contents of which were deemed insulting to the monarchy. |
| August 29 | 09:00BST/15:00ICT | Constitutional Court to rule on Paetongtarn Shinawatra's ethics case | Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been accused of breaching ethics standards based on her leaked phone call with Cambodia’s de facto leader Hun Sen, in which she referred to him as ‘uncle’ and criticised her military commander amid an ongoing border dispute. |
| September 9 | 04:00BST/10:00ICT | Supreme Court to rule on Thaksin Shinawatra's hospitalisation case | Thaksin's '14th floor case' revolves around allegations of faking an illness upon his return to Thailand, which allowed him to evade spending time in custody before he was granted royal pardon. |
