Thailand's Constitutional Court has temporarily suspended Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-Ocha following an opposition petition, Channel NewsAsia reports citing Thai media.

According to the Singapore TV channel, local media such as ThaiPBS, Khaosod and Workpoint reported on the court's decision without citing sources. Reuters was unable to verify this information.

The Constitutional Court is expected to make a formal announcement soon.

The Thai constitution prohibits the prime minister from holding office for more than eight years, and opposition parties say that Chan-o-cha, who came to power in a 2014 coup, has reached his limit. Supporters of Chan-o-cha claim that he has been prime minister since 2017, when the current constitution was enacted.

Prayut Chan-Ocha officially became prime minister on 29 August 2014. 191 out of 197 MPs voted for him.

In May, a military coup took place in the country, led by Chan-o-cha. As a result, the constitution of 2007 was suspended and then completely abolished, with the exception of the articles of the second section, devoted to the Thai monarchy.