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 The Constitutional Court on Wednesday accepted a case lodged by 27
senators who say Yingluck's transfer of the national security chief
in 2011 was politically motivated. If she is found to have violated
the constitution, the court could remove her from power.
It remains unclear when the court will rule, but Yingluck has been
given 15 days to defend herself.
"If the prime minister is removed from her position, a power vacuum
will occur and chaos will definitely ensue," Foreign Minister
Surapong Tovichakchaikul told reporters. "Thais are hot-tempered and
a confrontation could take place," .
Over the past five months, protesters have shut state offices and
disrupted a February 2 election which was nullified by a court on
March 21. They want to remove Yingluck and rid the country of the
influence of her brother, ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra,
to make way for broad political reforms before a new general
election takes place.
Protesters have stepped up their activities in recent days,
bolstered by a series of legal challenges piling up against
Yingluck.
"The end game is near! All will be over by the end of April!"
shouted one protest leader to thunderous applause at protest
headquarters in Bangkok's Lumpini Park.
Twenty-four people have been killed in politically related violence
since late November, including a protester shot in the head on
Tuesday after weeks of calm in the capital.
Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban told supporters on Wednesday that
the group would step up activities after the Thai New Year, which
begins next week and is expected to usher in a few days of calm as
people vacate the capital for the provinces.
"Yingluck will not survive, the court will rule against her and, on
that day, our opponents will come out (to defend her). I believe
after Songkran (the Thai New Year) we must be ready to come out in
full force," said Suthep.
With the clock ticking for Yingluck, risk of a confrontation between
opposing political sides is high.
Yingluck's "red shirt" supporters plan a big rally on Saturday to
counter attempts to remove her from office. Red shirt leaders say
they expect around 500,000 supporters from all over Thailand to
attend a gathering on the outskirts of Bangkok.
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The tension and uncertainty have hit consumption and investment as
well as scared some away tourists from the capital of the "Lands of
Smiles".
The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce's consumer confidence
index dropped to 68.8 in March from 69.9 in February. The index,
which has fallen 12 straight months, is at its lowest since November
2001.
"The consumer confidence index is tied pretty closely with the
political situation," said Thanavath Phonvichai, an economics
professor at the university.
"The Thai economic structure is quite weak and fragile. There's an
increasing risk for the economy to expand less than 2 percent, with
more possibility of flat growth or a contraction."
The survey showed that readiness to spend on new cars fell to its
lowest level in 27 months and on new houses to the lowest mark in
105 months. Thailand is a regional production and export base for
global carmakers. Domestic auto sales dropped nearly 45 percent in
February compared with a year earlier.
Tourism, which accounts for about 10 percent of the Thai economy, is
taking a hit, with arrivals down 7.3 percent in January-March from a
year earlier, according to the Tourism Council of Thailand.
But the sector is expected to improve from April, thanks to the
mid-March lifting of a state of emergency covering Bangkok.
(Additional reporting by Aukkarapon Niyomyat and Pairat
Temphairojana; editing by Nick Macfie)
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