Thai Court Removes PM Over Leaked Phone Call

Thailand’s prime minister has been removed by the Constitutional Court, dealing a blow to its most powerful political dynasty.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra was dismissed for violating ethics in a leaked June phone call, where she could be heard calling Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen “uncle” and criticising the Thai army, amid worsening border tensions with Cambodia.

The call, leaked by Hun Sen himself, damaged her reputation and critics accused her of undermining the country’s army.

The ruling makes Paetongtarn, the daughter of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, the fifth prime minister to be removed from office by the court since 2008.

Yesterday, the court’s nine judges voted six to three against Paetongtarn, ruling that her actions had violated ethical standards expected of her office.

The court said that Paetongtarn possessed a “personal relationship” that “appeared to align with Cambodia” and dismissed her claims that the call was a “personal negotiation to… bring back peace without using violence”.

In a ruling, it said “caused the public to cast doubt” on whether her actions “would benefit Cambodia more than the nation’s interest”.

Paetongtarn acknowledged the court’s verdict but insisted she was trying to save lives.

Her call with Hun Sen, at one time a close friend of her father, came as tensions rose on the Thai-Cambodia border, which weeks later erupted into a five-day conflict in which dozens of people were killed and hundreds of thousands fled their homes.

Paetongtarn, 39, had only joined Pheu Thai in 2021 and rose to power after her predecessor Srettha Thavisin was dismissed by the Constitutional Court for appointing an ally to his Cabinet who had been jailed for trying to bribe a judge.

Hours after she was dismissed, her one-time collation partner, the conservative Bhumjaithai party, announced it had enough support from other parties to get the votes needed to form a new government under leader Anutin Charnvirakul.