Serial petitioner Ruangkrai Leekitwattana has leveled a new accusation against Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, claiming a serious infraction: the use of a mini-heart hand gesture while dressed in her civil service uniform.
Mr. Ruangkrai, who is also seeking the dissolution of the Pheu Thai Party for its alleged control by Ms. Paetongtarn’s father, Thaksin Shinawatra, has delved into the constitution’s ethical stipulations once again.
He recently submitted documents to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) inquiring whether Ms. Paetongtarn’s gesture during a photo op on September 7 breached constitutional sections 17, 21, and 27(2).
Furthermore, he questioned if this matter should be escalated to the Supreme Court for a decision under Section 235(1) and if she should be permanently banned from politics under Section 235(4) for allegedly influencing other ministers to make similar gestures in their official attire.
During the session, most cabinet members mimicked her gesture until a supervising official at Government House advised its inappropriateness for individuals in uniform.
The response from Thai netizens to this episode was varied, with many not perceiving it as an ethical breach.
In his appeal to the NACC, Mr. Ruangkrai pointed out that videos of the event, widely available on TikTok and other platforms, could undermine public respect for the office of the Prime Minister.
Mr. Ruangkrai, once a senator and a member of the Palang Pracharath Party, is known for frequently targeting political figures he opposes, occasionally with success.
He notably succeeded in having Samak Sundaravej removed from the prime ministership in 2008 after it was revealed that Samak accepted payments for appearing on a cooking show.
Meanwhile, Warong Dechgitvigrom, the leader of the royalist Thai Pakdee Party, plans to ask the Election Commission to examine whether Thaksin Shinawatra exerts excessive influence over the Pheu Thai Party.
At 38, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra and Khunying Potjaman Na Pombejra, leads the Pheu Thai Party.
She assumed the prime ministerial post after the Constitutional Court disqualified Srettha Thavisin on August 14 due to ethical violations stemming from his appointment of Pichit Chuenban, an ex-convict and Thaksin’s former lawyer, to the cabinet.
