Court in Thailand suspends prime minister over leaked phone call with Cambodian official

BANGKOK – The Constitutional Court of Thailand suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Tuesday, pending an ethical investigation into the accusations that she was too deferential to a senior Cambodian official when the two discussed a recent border dispute during a telephone call which was disclosed.

Paetongtarn faced an increasing dissatisfaction with his manipulation of the dispute, which involved an armed confrontation on May 28, in which a Cambodian soldier was killed. In a call to the president of the Cambodian Senate Hun Sen, she tried to defuse tensions – but rather sparked a series of complaints and public demonstrations of criticisms which accused her of being too weakened.

Familiar model

The suspension of Paetongtarn raises the possibility of renewed instability in Thailand, a still fragile democracy that has undergone several similar episodes of uncertainty. At the origin of a large part of this, there were concerns of the conservative establishment, including the army, that the political dynasty began with the father of Paetongtarn, the former People’s Prime Minister but divisor Thaksin Shinawatra, became too powerful.

She is the third member of her family to hold the Prime Minister’s office – and the third to face the possibility of returning before the end of her mandate. Thaksin was moved from his duties during a 2006 coup and led in exile, while his sister, former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawtra, was postponed by a court order in 2014, followed shortly after by a coup.

This “recurring cycle of political instability” would probably continue to repeat unless Thailand goes through a real democratic reform which includes the limitation of the power of undeled institutions, said Purawich Watanasukh, professor of political science at ThammaSat University in Bangkok.

“Without such fundamental reforms, any government, it doesn’t matter who leads it, will remain vulnerable to the same forces that have disrupted the democratic development of Thailand,” he said.

Growing dissatisfaction

The suspension also occurs at a time when the country faces an economic slowdown and growing dissatisfaction with Paetongtarn and its Pheu Thai party, in general, with criticism affirming that the performance of its government has been disappointing.

The judges voted unanimously on Tuesday to examine the petition accusing him of a violation of ethics, and voted 7-2 to suspend it immediately as Prime Minister until a decision was given. The court gave Paetongtarn 15 days to testify in support of his case.

After the court order, Paetongtarn said that it would accept the process and defend its actions.

“I only thought of doing to avoid problems, what to do to avoid armed confrontation, so that the soldiers will not suffer any loss,” she said.

She also apologized to people upset by the appeal disclosed and left the government house shortly after.

Suriya Jungrungruangkit, who is Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, will take charge of the acting Prime Minister, said Choulak Sirinil, Minister of the Prime Minister.

Earlier Tuesday, before the court suspended Paetongtarn, King Maha Vajiralongkorn had approved a reshuffle of the cabinet after a large part left the government coalition for the disclosed appeal.

In the reshuffle, Paetongtarn also received the post of Minister of Culture, in addition to the Prime Minister, although it is not clear if it can take an oath to assume this role.

In the call on border tensions, Paetongtarn could be heard urging Hun Sen – a longtime friend of his father – not to listen to a commander of the Thai regional army who had publicly criticized Cambodia about the border dispute, and called it “an adversary”.

Thousands of conservative and nationalist demonstrators rallied in the center of Bangkok to demand the resignation of Paetongtarn.

Paetongtarn also faces separate surveys by another agency on the disclosed appeal – a case that could also lead to its withdrawal.

Last year, the Constitutional Court withdrew the predecessor of Paetongtarn concerning a violation of ethics. The courts of Thailand, in particular the Constitutional Court, are considered to be a defender of the royalist establishment, who used them and nominally independent agencies such as the electoral commission to paralyze or flow political opponents.

Fallout of the appeal disclosed

Paetongtarn, 38, is the youngest daughter of Thaksin. His father remained appreciated by many poor and workers in Thailand who saw him for a long time as their champion.

But the political fortune of the family can now be on the decline.

Thaksin has alienated many of his supporters with what looked like a selfish agreement with his former conservative opponents. This allowed his return of exile in 2023 and the party he supported to form the new government, while putting the touch of the progressive part of the future, which finished first in a national election, but was considered by the conservative establishment as a greater threat.

Thaksin has faced several legal challenges since his return. On Tuesday, he attended an audience in an alleging case that he had defamed the monarchy in 2015.

He is also the subject of an investigation into the treatment of his return to an eight -year mandate in prison for corruption and abuse of power. At the time, he was transferred almost immediately to the hospital, and then granted leniency because of his age and his health without spending a single night in prison.

Complaints argue that he properly avoided his sentence and raised the possibility that Thaksin can be forced to serve a prison sentence.