BANGKOK —Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was removed from office after the Constitutional Court ruled she had breached ethics laws in her handling of a border dispute with Cambodia over leaked audio recordings of her conversations with Cambodian leader Hun Sen.
The Constitutional Court ruled that she was guilty of the alleged charges as her negotiations with Hun Sen, as evidenced in the audio clip, constituted a failure to protect national interests by prioritizing Cambodia’s interests over those of the nation. This conduct amounts to a serious breach of ethical standards. The court ordered that her ministerial status be terminated effective July 1, resulting in the dissolution of the entire Cabinet.
Pheu Thai Party stated that they are prepared to nominate their third prime ministerial candidate, 76-year-old Chaikasem Nitisiri, as the new PM, affirming that the government coalition remains solid.
The seasoned political veteran, who previously served as Justice Minister and Attorney General, has expressed confidence in his ability to lead, emphasizing that the prime ministerial role “doesn’t require extraordinary qualities” and that governance “follows its natural course.”
Paetongtarn, the youngest daughter of billionaire ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was accused of failing in her duties by not standing up for the country properly in a June 15 call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen to discuss tensions over territory claimed by both nations.
This clip was released to the public on June 18, and one day later, 36 senators from the Blue Group or the group closely aligned with the Bhumjaithai Party announced their signatures on a petition to remove Paetongtarn from the position of Prime Minister.
Opposition critics accused her of being overly conciliatory toward Hun Sen, Cambodia’s former strongman leader, arguing that she undermined Thailand’s dignity by addressing him as “uncle” and appearing to criticize a Thai military commander responsible for border security.
While Paetongtarn issued an apology, she maintained that her approach caused no harm to the country and defended her remarks as part of a diplomatic strategy.
However, on June 20, the Senate President signed the petition from the 36 senators and submitted it to the Constitutional Court, accusing Paetongtarn of seriously violating ethical standards and requesting a ruling on whether her tenure as Prime Minister should end.
The court accepted this petition and had voted unanimously to review a petition accusing Paetongtarn of a breach of ethics and voted 7-2 to immediately suspend her on July 1 until it issues its ruling.
While she was suspended from her duties, border tensions escalated leading to five days of deadly border fighting from July 25 to July 28 that claimed dozens of lives and forced over 260,000 people to flee their homes.
Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai stepped in to handle the crisis. On July 28, he traveled to negotiate a ceasefire with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet at the invitation of Malaysian ASEAN Chairman Anwar Ibrahim. He also received a thank-you call from U.S. President Donald Trump, who had played a crucial role in pushing for the talks.
In the court hearing on August 25, Paetongtarn affirmed that her communication with the Cambodian leader was done with good intentions aimed at avoiding armed conflict between the two countries.
