Suspended PM can resume office

Thailand's Constitutional Court yesterday ruled Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha had not exceeded the maximum eight years allowed in office, clearing the way for the former coup leader's return from a five-week suspension.

"The accused ... has been in the prime minister position not exceeding the limit stipulated by the constitution," a judge said in a 25-minute televised reading. "Therefore he is not disqualified."

The case was brought by the opposition Pheu Thai party, whose government was toppled eight years ago by then-army chief Prayuth.

Despite portraying himself as a reluctant leader wanting to hold power only briefly, Prayuth served as prime minister of a junta until an election in 2019, after which parliament chose him to remain premier.