Move FM Global News

BANGKOK, Thailand: Thailand’s Constitutional Court has removed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office, ruling that she broke ethics rules during a phone call with a Cambodian leader.

The decision ended the term of the country’s youngest prime minister and was the latest setback for the Shinawatra family, which had shaped Thai politics for more than 20 years.

The court voted 6–3 to find that Paetongtarn’s conduct in a June 15 call with former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen compromised Thailand’s national interests. The call became controversial after audio leaked, just weeks before deadly border clashes erupted between the two countries. In the recording, Paetongtarn referred to Hun Sen as “uncle” and called a Thai army general an “opponent” while discussing border tensions.

A group of senators accused her of being too close to Cambodia and of lacking integrity in her comments about the general. They claimed she was willing to act in accordance with Cambodia’s wishes instead of Thailand’s.

The court acknowledged that Paetongtarn had aimed to reduce tensions and protect Thailand’s sovereignty. Still, the majority of judges ruled that her words violated ethical standards.

Paetongtarn, 39, defended herself, saying her casual tone was a strategy to defuse conflict and prevent bloodshed. She apologized for her wording but insisted she had not harmed national security. After the ruling, she said she would accept the decision but stressed she had acted only to save lives.

Hun Sen, who led Cambodia for 38 years before handing power to his son in 2023, leaked the call online. The conversation happened after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash with Thai troops in disputed territory in May. Weeks later, the countries fought for five days, leaving dozens dead and displacing more than 260,000 people.

The case stirred public anger in Thailand partly because of the Shinawatra family’s history. Paetongtarn’s father, Thaksin Shinawatra, was ousted as prime minister in a 2006 coup and has long been accused of mixing personal and national interests. His sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, was prime minister from 2011 until 2014, when she too was removed from office. Their brother-in-law, Somchai Wongsawat, briefly served as prime minister in 2008.

Paetongtarn had already been suspended from duty on July 1, with Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai acting in her place. Phumtham’s caretaker cabinet will remain until Parliament chooses a new prime minister, though no date has been set. Lawmakers could also dissolve Parliament and call fresh elections.