THAILAND’S Constitutional Court ordered the removal of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office today over an ethical violation, following a separate order dissolving main opposition party.

The case involved Mr Srettha’s appointment of a cabinet member who had been jailed for allegedly trying to bribe a court official.

The property tycoon had to step down immediately after the court’s judges voted by five to four to oust him.

He is the fourth Thai premier in 16 years to be removed by the same court.

Mr Srettha thanked the judges for allowing him to defend himself.

He said he respected the ruling and that he had always sought to act ethically during his time in office, which was less than a year.

“I’m sorry that I’d be considered as a prime minister who’s unethical, but I’d like to insist that I believe that is not who I am,” he said.

His cabinet will remain in place on a caretaker basis until parliament approves a new prime minister.

Last week, the court ordered the dissolution of the Move Forward Party for allegedly violating the constitution by proposing to amend a law against defaming the Thai royal family.

Move Forward has already regrouped as the People’s Party.

Prajak Kongkirati, a political scientist at Bangkok’s Thammasat University, described the rulings as “two judicial coups” that were “against international standards and upset the usual checks and balances in a democratic system.”

He said: “It shows that Thailand currently is not a democracy and that the 2017 constitution handed the judiciary and the independent organisations unbalanced power.”

The constitution was sponsored by the military government that seized power in 2014.