Suriya confirms Paetongtarn can take the oath as minister

Suriya confirms Paetongtarn can take the oath as Minister of Culture, clarifying legal concerns over her eligibility following the Constitutional Court’s review.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Suriya Juangroongruangkit, in his capacity as Acting Prime Minister, spoke to the press on Wednesday (July 2), confirming that following the Constitutional Court's order for Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to temporarily suspend her duties and the removal of Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai from office, although the new Cabinet had been approved, it could not yet take office until the oath of allegiance had been taken. Therefore, Suriya is temporarily fulfilling the role of Acting Prime Minister. 

He anticipated that the new Cabinet would take the oath on Thursday (July 3), after which Phumtham would resume the role of Acting Prime Minister.

In the meantime, Suriya will continue in the role as required by law.

When asked about urgent matters that needed to be addressed, Suriya replied that earlier in the day, the Secretariat of the Cabinet had brought documents for him to sign, authorising Phumtham to serve as Acting Prime Minister. As for other issues, there were no immediate concerns.

Regarding his feelings about serving as Acting Prime Minister, Suriya expressed that over the past 10 months of working alongside Paetongtarn, she had shown dedication and focus on her duties without considering personal interests.

He also emphasised that she had instructed all ministers to serve with integrity. Reflecting on her remarks. 

Suriya added that Paetongtarn’s goal was always to ensure peace between Thailand and Cambodia and that there was no intention to diminish the role of the military, which he felt needed clarification.

When asked if Paetongtarn would be able to take the oath, He clarified that he had consulted with the Secretariat of the Cabinet and legal experts from the Council of State, all of whom agreed that the process was in full accordance with legal procedures, with no violations.

Following the oath, a special Cabinet meeting would be held to assign duties to the new ministers.Chusak Sirinil, Minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, stated in an interview that all the necessary documents and evidence for Paetongtarn to present to the Constitutional Court regarding the leaked audio of her conversation with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen are now complete. However, the documents may still need to be organised and reviewed for any additional details.

When asked about academic concerns regarding Paetongtarn’s qualifications and whether she could still take the oath as Minister of Culture, Chusak explained that if the qualifications of a minister were interpreted the same as for the Prime Minister, it would imply that the court had already found Paetongtarn guilty of a disqualification. However, he clarified that the court has not yet ruled on whether she is disqualified; it has simply accepted the petition and requested further clarification. 

Therefore, Paetongtarn still maintains her full eligibility to serve as a minister, and the court has not extended its judgment to other positions. Any such decision would go beyond the scope of the petition.

When asked if there would be any legal repercussions after Suriya leads the new Cabinet to take the oath, Chusak responded that since the Royal Decree has already been issued, only the swearing-in remains, and he believes there is no legal barrier to proceeding.

Regarding criticism that the legal team of the Pheu Thai Party lacks efficiency, He remarked, "I believe we have been working to our fullest capacity. However, it is important to recognise that the current laws need to be reviewed for fairness. I have previously suggested amending the Constitution in this regard, as we need to address the root of the problem."

(2025/07/02-00:00)