Paetongtarn resigns as Pheu Thai Party leader ahead of election

Former Thai prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra resigned as leader of the Pheu Thai Party on Wednesday morning, noting that she will remain with the party and the resignation was made in preparation for the upcoming candidate election in four months.

In a public letter posted on her social media account, Paetongtarn explained her resignation as "the beginning of an overhaul of the Pheu Thai Party".

"Thailand is at the most critical transitional phase with the upcoming election. Therefore, the Pheu Thai Party, as the country's main political party, needs to overhaul, transform, change its structure, process, and entire way of thinking so that the party can win the election and then proceed to overhaul and revitalize Thailand," she said.

As Thailand's youngest prime minister, Paetongtarn was elected last year as Thailand's 31st prime minister. She is the youngest daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose younger sister Yingluck Shinawatra also served as prime minister between 2011 and 2014.

In August, she was ousted by the Thailand Constitutional Court after she was found guilty of violating the constitution during a controversial handling of a border dispute with Cambodia.

According to local news portal The Nation, the ruling could expose Paetongtarn to further legal risks if she were to endorse any MP candidates, should a petition be filed, prompting her resignation to prevent possible complications for the party.

Last month, Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul was elected as Thailand's new Prime Minister. The government led by Anutin is expected to dissolve the House of Representatives by January and hold elections in March or April, restoring the public's right to vote.

Following Paetongtarn's resignation, the current Pheu Thai Party Executive Committee will serve as caretaker executives until a new election is held by November, party-list MP and Chairman of Pheu Thai MPs Wisut Chainaroon revealed on Wednesday morning.

Wisut stressed that Paetongtarn's resignation was mainly to facilitate candidate selection and political duties, with the Shinawatra family continuing to support the Pheu Thai Party behind the scenes.