A Thai court permanently removed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office on Friday, in a major setback to a powerful family that also plunged the nation into fresh political turmoil.

The verdict from the Constitutional Court in Bangkok came nearly two months after it had suspended Paetongtarn over charges stemming from a conversation she had with the Cambodian leader Hun Sen, which fuelled anger when it became public because it raised questions about her competence and loyalty.

In a 6-3 verdict on Friday, the court ruled that Paetongtarn had breached ethical standards. She had been accused of lacking “demonstrable honesty and integrity” in the call with Hun Sen.

Her dismissal from office was effective immediately and the court also dissolved her cabinet.

Paetongtarn, 39, is the latest politician to be removed by what analysts say are the machinations of the un-elected royalist-military establishment. “Once again, a court verdict has abruptly changed the political landscape,” she told reporters in Bangkok.

She is the third member of her family to be ousted from the Prime Minister’s post. Her father, Thaksin, was ousted in a coup in 2006 soon after he was re-elected to a second term. Her aunt Yingluck was removed by the Constitutional Court in 2014, weeks before another coup.

But unlike the episodes involving the elder Shinawatras, widespread protests are not expected this time. That is because the family no longer commands the public support that it once did.

New York Times News Service