BANGKOK — Thailand’s Constitutional Court has ruled that Namtan, a stray dog adopted by a gas station attendant and later gaining viral social media fame as a PTT employee, is legally eligible to serve as prime minister. In the majority opinion, Court President Nakarin Mektrairat ruled against the Pheu Thai Party, writing that the bench could “find no article in the charter that explicitly prohibits a dog from assuming executive office.” Khemthong Tonsakulrungruang, a constitutional scholar at the University of Bristol, said the decision rests on firm precedent, citing the 1976 case Gus, which held that a mule could play football, and the 1997 case Airbud, in which justices concluded, “There ain’t no rule that says a dog can’t play basketball.” Nuttaphong Kunakornwong, tipped as Thaksin Shinawatra’s next prime ministerial nominee, warned politics was descending into parody. “You can’t just be PM because you’re famous,” he said, while asking reporters not to highlight his lack of political experience, instead insisting his extreme wealth made him relatable to average Thai families. General Boonsin, meanwhile, fumed that Namtan was “stealing his celebrity status” and vowed to seek damages in civil court. At press time, Namtan was reported to have swept 74 of Thailand’s 76 provinces at the polls.
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