Thailand's Constitutional Court on Friday ordered the dismissal of Prime Minister Phatthana Shinawatra and his cabinet over their role in a border dispute with Cambodia that has plunged the country into political turmoil, AFP reported.

The report said that Pettongtarn, the daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was temporarily suspended from her duties last month.

He was accused of failing to take the right stance on Thailand in a telephone call with powerful former Cambodian leader Hun Sen in June, which sparked a storm of criticism after it was leaked online.

The nine-member panel of judges ruled that he had failed to uphold the moral standards of the prime minister and was therefore removed from office. His actions have brought the country to the brink of political crisis, with no suitable candidate in parliament to lead the fragile coalition government.

"His actions have undermined trust, putting personal interests above national interests. This has created public suspicion that he is taking Cambodia's side and has undermined citizens' confidence in his position as prime minister. The defendant has failed to uphold the code of ethical conduct. His premiership effectively ended with the suspension on July 1," the judge said in a ruling.

The ruling also disbanded Pettit's cabinet. A year earlier, the same court had removed his predecessor, Sretha Thavisin, from office in a separate ethics case. The Constitutional Court has removed Pettit, the fifth prime minister in 17 years, in a move that underscores the court's partisan role in Thailand's long-running power struggle between elected governments of the Shinawatra family and influential conservative and pro-monarchist generals.

A hint of uncertainty

There is now uncertainty about who will replace Petangran. In this case, it is believed that Thaksin Shinawatra will remain at the center of power. Efforts will now be made to keep the 'Pheu Thai' party at the helm through an agreement between various parties and powerful groups.

Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechachachai and the current cabinet will take over as interim leader until parliament elects a new prime minister, but there is no set deadline for the election.

There are five candidates to become prime minister. Among them is 77-year-old Chaikasem Nitisiri of the Pheu Thai party, a former attorney general. However, he has limited cabinet experience and is a very quiet politician.

Others include former Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who retired from politics and led a military coup against the Pheu Thai government in 2014, and former Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who withdrew his party from the alliance after the leak of Petangtran's phone conversations.

The ruling plunges Thailand into renewed political uncertainty at a time when reforms have stalled and the economy is in shambles. The central bank estimates that the country will grow by just 2.3 percent this year.

Any coalition government led by Pheu Thai would be very fragile, and would likely face frequent challenges in parliament from the opposition, which has huge popular support and is demanding early elections.

"Appointing a new prime minister will be difficult and could take a long time," said Chulalongkorn University political scientist Sitthorn Thananithichot. "It's not easy to reconcile the interests of all parties. Pheu Thai will be in an uncomfortable position."