Thailand's political crisis deepens after suspension of prime minister over leaked call
's constitutional court has suspended prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office pending a decision on whether to oust her for ethical violations, deepening a political crisis in the southeast Asian country.
The court suspended Ms Paetongtarn effective from Tuesday after accepting a petition that alleged she had violated ethical standards in a phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. It is alleged that she disparaged the powerful Thai military while discussing a border dispute.
Ms Paetongtarn has 15 days to submit her defence to the court, which did not say when the final verdict would be announced.
Following the suspension, Ms Paetongtarn said she accepted the court order and that she had 'no ill intentions' in the phone call with Hun Sen.
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Deputy prime minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit will take over as caretaker, media reported.
Ms Paetongtarn, who has been in power for 10 months,
has been under mounting pressure
since the June phone call, particularly from the country's powerful military-royalist establishment.
A conservative coalition partner withdrew from Ms Paetongtarn's ruling alliance, leaving her with a slim majority in parliament. Over the weekend, tens of thousands of Thais demonstrated in Bangkok calling for her to step down.
In the call with Hun Sen, Ms Paetongtarn appeared to blame Thailand's military for aggravating a May border dispute with Cambodia that resulted in the death of one Cambodian soldier. She is also accused of taking a conciliatory tone that undercut Thailand's national interests. Hun Sen released a recording of the call, in which Ms Paetongtarn referred to him as 'uncle'.
Ms Paetongtarn has apologised for the call and said the comments were a negotiating tactic.
The political turmoil threatens a truce between the Shinawatra family and Thailand's conservative establishment. The truce allowed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra – the political clan's patriarch and Ms Paetongtarn's father – to return from exile in 2023.
The conservative establishment has long clashed with the Shinawatras, resulting in military coups that in the past removed Mr Thaksin and his sister Yingluck from power.
Ms Paetongtarn's predecessor Srettha Thavisin, another Thaksin ally, was removed from office last year over a cabinet appointment that the court said breached ethical standards.
While analysts have ruled out an immediate military intervention, they say the chances of a coup would rise if Ms Paetongtarn clings to power.
Mr Thaksin also faces legal challenges. He faces charges of insulting the country's monarchy, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment.
He appeared in a Bangkok court on Tuesday for the case, which relates to an interview he gave to South Korean media in 2015. Mr Thaksin has denied the charges. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
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Irish Times
01-07-2025
- Irish Times
Thailand's political crisis deepens after suspension of prime minister over leaked call
Thailand 's constitutional court has suspended prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office pending a decision on whether to oust her for ethical violations, deepening a political crisis in the southeast Asian country. The court suspended Ms Paetongtarn effective from Tuesday after accepting a petition that alleged she had violated ethical standards in a phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. It is alleged that she disparaged the powerful Thai military while discussing a border dispute. Ms Paetongtarn has 15 days to submit her defence to the court, which did not say when the final verdict would be announced. Following the suspension, Ms Paetongtarn said she accepted the court order and that she had 'no ill intentions' in the phone call with Hun Sen. READ MORE Deputy prime minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit will take over as caretaker, media reported. Ms Paetongtarn, who has been in power for 10 months, has been under mounting pressure since the June phone call, particularly from the country's powerful military-royalist establishment. A conservative coalition partner withdrew from Ms Paetongtarn's ruling alliance, leaving her with a slim majority in parliament. Over the weekend, tens of thousands of Thais demonstrated in Bangkok calling for her to step down. In the call with Hun Sen, Ms Paetongtarn appeared to blame Thailand's military for aggravating a May border dispute with Cambodia that resulted in the death of one Cambodian soldier. She is also accused of taking a conciliatory tone that undercut Thailand's national interests. Hun Sen released a recording of the call, in which Ms Paetongtarn referred to him as 'uncle'. Ms Paetongtarn has apologised for the call and said the comments were a negotiating tactic. The political turmoil threatens a truce between the Shinawatra family and Thailand's conservative establishment. The truce allowed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra – the political clan's patriarch and Ms Paetongtarn's father – to return from exile in 2023. The conservative establishment has long clashed with the Shinawatras, resulting in military coups that in the past removed Mr Thaksin and his sister Yingluck from power. Ms Paetongtarn's predecessor Srettha Thavisin, another Thaksin ally, was removed from office last year over a cabinet appointment that the court said breached ethical standards. While analysts have ruled out an immediate military intervention, they say the chances of a coup would rise if Ms Paetongtarn clings to power. Mr Thaksin also faces legal challenges. He faces charges of insulting the country's monarchy, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment. He appeared in a Bangkok court on Tuesday for the case, which relates to an interview he gave to South Korean media in 2015. Mr Thaksin has denied the charges. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
Irish Examiner
01-07-2025
- Irish Examiner
Thai court suspends PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra over leaked phone call
Thailand's Constitutional Court has suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office pending an investigation over a leaked phone call with a former Cambodian leader. The judges voted unanimously to take the petition accusing her of a breach of ethics, and voted seven to two to suspend her from duty. Ms Paetongtarn has faced growing dissatisfaction over her handling of the latest border dispute with Cambodia, involving an armed confrontation on May 28 in which one Cambodian soldier was killed. The leaked phone call while she engaged in diplomacy over the border dispute set off a string of complaints and public protests. Ms Paetongtarn said on Monday she would accept and follow the court process although she did not want to see her work interrupted. 'If you ask me whether I'm worried, I am,' she told reporters. Paetongtarn Shinawatra is the youngest daughter of exiled former deposed Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra (AP) Earlier on Tuesday, King Maha Vajiralongkorn had endorsed a Cabinet reshuffle forced when a major party left Ms Paetongtarn's coalition government over the leaked phone call. The reshuffle replaced former Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, which had held several Cabinet positions in her government. Ms Paetongtarn also faces investigations over an alleged breach of ethics by the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, whose decision could also lead to her removal. Outrage over the call mostly revolved around Ms Paetongtarn's comments toward an outspoken regional army commander and her perceived attempts to appease Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen to ease tensions at the border. Thousands of conservative, nationalist-leaning protesters rallied in central Bangkok on Saturday to demand Ms Paetongtarn's resignation.
Irish Times
19-06-2025
- Irish Times
Thai PM under growing pressure to quit after leaked phone call
The government of Thai prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was hanging by a thread on Thursday following the withdrawal of a major coalition partner, building pressure on her to resign after just 10 months in power. Political neophyte Paetongtarn, the 38-year-old daughter of influential former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, is facing dwindling popularity, a stuttering economy and a territorial row with Cambodia that has sparked fears of military clashes. The second-biggest partner in the alliance, the Bhumjaithai Party, withdrew from the coalition late on Wednesday, citing damage caused to Thailand's integrity, sovereignty and its army after an embarrassing leak hours earlier of a phone call between the premier and Cambodia's influential former leader, Hun Sen. The United Thai Nation (UTN), Chart Thai Pattana and Democrat parties announced separate meetings on Thursday to decide their next steps. A decision to withdraw by either the Democrats or UTN would leave Ms Paetongtarn with a minority government and in an untenable position. READ MORE The premier has not commented on Bhumjaithai's exit. Ms Paetongtarn was seen entering the government's headquarters on Thursday, with police surrounding the complex in preparation for possible protests against her. Thai stocks fell as much as 2.4 per cent in morning trading to the lowest level since April 9th. In the leaked June 15th call, Ms Paetongtarn is heard pressing former Cambodian leader Hun Sen for a peaceful resolution to the territorial dispute, and urging him not to listen to 'the other side' in Thailand, including an outspoken Thai army general who she said 'just wants to look cool'. [ Travelling solo in Cambodia: Nervous, chafing and covered in mosquito bites - I loved the chaos Opens in new window ] She later told reporters that was a negotiation tactic and there were no issues with the military. Ms Paetongtarn met top security officials on Thursday to discuss the crisis with Cambodia. Flanked by the defence minister, army chief and armed forces commander, she apologised over the leak and called for unity. 'We don't have time for infighting. We have to protect our sovereignty. The government is ready to support the military in all ways,' she told reporters. If Ms Paetongtarn were to resign, parliament must convene to choose a new prime minister to form the next government, from a pool of only five remaining eligible candidates nominated before the 2023 election. Another option would be to dissolve parliament and call an election, a move that could favour the opposition People's Party, the largest force in parliament and the country's most popular party according to opinion polls. The People's Party, the reincarnation of the Move Forward Party that won most votes in the 2023 election but was disbanded last year by a court, said Thailand was paralysed by problems that only a new election could solve. 'The situation yesterday on the leaked phone call is the last straw,' People's Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut told a press conference. [ 'The scene was like the end of the world': Thailand reels from earthquake Opens in new window ] 'I want the prime minister to dissolve parliament. I think the people want a government that can solve problems for the people, a legitimate government that comes from a democratic process.' Ms Paetongtarn's administration has also been dogged by criticism from opponents about the influence of her divisive tycoon father Thaksin, who holds no official position but often comments on policy and has maintained a high profile since his return from self-exile in 2023. The turmoil and the army's assertiveness over the border dispute with Cambodia have again put the spotlight on Thailand's politically powerful military and its animosity with the Shinawatra family, whose governments it overthrew in 2006 and 2014 coups. The army on Thursday issued a statement affirming its 'commitment to democratic principles' while emphasising Thai unity. 'The chief of army has called upon the Thai people to maintain confidence in the Royal Thai Army's steadfast commitment to constitutional monarchy and ... protecting national sovereignty through established legal frameworks and institutional mechanisms,' it said. – Reuters
