Thai foreign minister resigns after sparking uproar over Cambodian temple
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Thailand's foreign minister has resigned in a bid to defuse political tension as a raft of court cases and street protests batter the country's 5-month-old government.
Noppadon Pattama's resignation Thursday came after opposition demands that he quit over a dispute with Cambodia involving an ancient temple on the Thai-Cambodian border.
The Thai Constitutional Court ruled Tuesday that Noppadon acted unconstitutionally when he endorsed Cambodia's application to have the Preah Vihear temple registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site without first consulting Parliament on the matter.
Critics fear the endorsement undermines Thailand's claim to land near the temple.