Paetongtarn Shinawatra
Bangkok: Thailand’s Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, launching an ethics probe into her conduct in a leaked call with Cambodia’s former leader, destabilising governance.
The court’s 7-2 decision, following a petition from 36 senators, accuses Paetongtarn, leader of the Pheu Thai Party, of breaching constitutional ethics and integrity standards during a June 15, 2025, 17-minute phone call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen.
The call addressed a May 28, 2025, border clash in the Emerald Triangle, where Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos meet, which killed one Cambodian soldier. Paetongtarn referred to Hun Sen as “uncle,” reflecting her family’s ties, criticised a Thai military commander as an “opponent” who “wanted to look cool,” and offered to “take care of” Hun Sen’s requests, prompting accusations of undermining sovereignty. The court gave her 15 days to submit a defence, with Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit appointed acting prime minister.
Hours before the suspension, King Maha Vajiralongkorn approved a cabinet reshuffle, with Paetongtarn assigning herself culture minister and Phumtham Wechayachai as interior minister and deputy prime minister, set for swearing-in on July 3, though her suspension casts doubt on her role.
The call, verified as authentic by Thai and Cambodian officials, triggered public outcry. On June 19, Paetongtarn apologised at Government House, flanked by military leaders, framing her remarks as a negotiation tactic to de-escalate border tensions and prevent further loss of life. She vowed no further private talks with Hun Sen after he shared the recording with 80 Cambodian officials and posted it on Facebook. The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Cambodian Ambassador Hun Saroeun on June 19, delivering a protest letter condemning the leak as a breach of diplomatic etiquette. Cambodia’s spokesperson Pen Bona denied government involvement, rejecting Thai claims linking border areas to illegal scam centres. The 817-kilometre Thai-Cambodian border, marked by historical disputes like the Preah Vihear temple, ruled Cambodia’s by the International Court of Justice in 1962 and 2013, remains contentious. Cambodia submitted the recent clash to the International Court of Justice, rejecting Thailand’s preference for a 2000 bilateral committee, escalating diplomatic friction. Thailand banned land travel and exports like food, electricity, and media, prompting Cambodia’s reciprocal bans.
Over 10,000 protesters, including royalist “Yellow Shirt” groups and United Force of the Land, rallied at Bangkok’s Victory Monument on June 28, demanding Paetongtarn’s resignation, waving Thai flags and holding signs branding her a “traitor” and “sellout.” A National Institute of Development Administration poll showed her approval rating dropping to 9.2% in June from 30.9% in March, reflecting discontent with her handling of the border dispute and economic challenges, including a tourism slump and looming 36% United States tariffs. The Bhumjaithai Party, with 69 Members of Parliament, withdrew from the coalition on June 18, leaving Pheu Thai with a slim majority in the 495-member parliament. Six coalition parties—Prachachart, Kla Tham, Chartthaipattana, United Thai Nation, Democrat, and Chart Pattana—reaffirmed support on June 22 at the Rosewood Hotel, but the opposition People’s Party, led by Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, called for parliament’s dissolution. The National Anti-Corruption Commission and Central Investigation Bureau launched probes into Paetongtarn’s conduct, examining ethics and national security violations.
Paetongtarn, 37, Thailand’s youngest and second female prime minister after her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra, faces a no-confidence vote, with her coalition’s fragility risking a snap election. Her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, faced trial on July 1 for a 2015 lese-majeste charge from a South Korean media interview, carrying up to 15 years in prison. Thaksin, 75, returned from 15 years in exile in August 2023, serving a reduced one-year sentence in a hospital before parole in February 2024.
The Shinawatra family, dominant since 2001, faces a decades-long struggle against the royalist-military establishment. Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 coup, Yingluck in a 2014 court ruling and coup, and Paetongtarn’s predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, was dismissed in August 2024 for an ethics violation. The Constitutional Court, criticised for dissolving 34 parties since 2006, including the Move Forward Party in 2023, wields significant power. China, at a July 1 press conference, called the crisis Thailand’s internal affair, with Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning expressing hope for sustained stability and development.
In Bangkok, street vendors near Government House weigh the impact of political upheaval on their livelihoods, recalling past coups. In Chiang Rai, where Paetongtarn monitored floods on June 28, students debate her leadership, balancing national pride with economic hardship. Farmers in border provinces, hit by trade bans affecting Thailand’s reliance on over 500,000 Cambodian workers, join urban workers in protests, fearing further instability.
The crisis ripples beyond politics, stalling Paetongtarn’s push to legalise gaming, a sector tied to border casinos generating $12 billion annually, often linked to Cambodian elites. Yet, resilience endures. In Pattani, where insurgent violence persists, locals dream of peace, while Bangkok’s youth organise online, advocating democratic reforms. As the court deliberates, Thailand’s 71 million citizens navigate a turbulent history of 12 coups since 1932, their aspirations for stability and progress tested by a fragile democracy at a critical juncture.
– global bihari bureau
