Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Thai prime minister suspended over leaked phone call

Thailand’s Constitutional Court has suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who has faced rising pressure to quit following her leaked phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen.

The video, in which Paetongtarn called him “uncle” and criticised a Thai military commander, generated public outrage and a petition for her dismissal, which the court is currently investigating.

Paetongtarn might become the third politician in the powerful Shinawatra clan, which has dominated Thai politics for the previous two decades, to relinquish power before the end of their tenure.

Her ruling coalition already has a shaky majority after a key conservative ally abandoned it two weeks ago.

The Constitutional Court voted 7-2 to suspend her while they consider the grounds for her dismissal, giving her 15 days to give her defence.

Meanwhile, the deputy prime minister will function as the country’s acting leader. Paetongtarn, on the other hand, will continue in the cabinet as culture minister, a new position created by a cabinet reshuffle approved just hours before her suspension.

Paetongtarn apologised again on Tuesday, saying that her phone chat with Hun Sen was “more than 100%… for the country”.

The discussion was about the two countries’ border conflict, which has been ongoing for decades. Tensions have increased again since late May, when a Cambodian soldier died.

The leaked recording particularly infuriated conservative MPs, who accused her of accommodating Hun Sen while hurting Thailand’s military.

But she defended herself on Tuesday, claiming, “I had no intention of doing it for my own benefit.” I solely considered how to avoid turmoil, conflict, and the loss of lives.

“If you listened to it carefully, you’d understand that I didn’t have ill intentions. This is what I’ll focus on and spend time on explaining thoroughly.”

If dismissed, Paetongtarn will be the second prime minister from the Pheu Thai party to be removed since August last year.

Her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, was dismissed by the constitutional court for appointing a former lawyer who was once jailed.

Paetongtarn, whose father is Thailand’s deposed leader Thaksin Shinawatra, was sworn in as prime minister days later.

This court has dissolved 34 parties since 2006, including the reformist Move Forward, which gained the most seats and votes in the 2023 election but was unable to form a government.

“This has become a pattern in Thai politics… a part of the Thai political culture, which is not what a true political process is supposed to be,” said Titipol Phakdeewanich, a political science lecturer at Ubon Ratchathani University.

“The suspension by court order shouldn’t have happened, but most people could see its legitimacy because the leaked conversation really made people question if the PM was genuinely defending the interests of the country.”

Paetongtarn, 38, is the country’s youngest leader and just the second woman to be prime minister, following her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra.

Paetongtarn’s approval rating fell to 9.2% last weekend, down from 30.9% in March.

The court’s ruling comes on the same day as Paetongtarn’s father, who was widely regarded as the driving force behind her government, faces his own political difficulties.

Thaksin is battling charges of disrespecting the monarchy stemming from an interview he gave to a South Korean newspaper nine years ago. His trial began on Tuesday.

The controversial political leader, who returned to Thailand in 2023 after 15 years in exile, is the most prominent figure to face charges under the country’s infamous lese majeste statute.

Thaksin’s return was part of a grand deal between Pheu Thai and its previous conservative opponents.

They include the military, which deposed two Shinawatra governments through coups, as well as monarchist factions.