BANGKOK (AP) — The Constitutional Court’s suspension of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has raised questions about whether her family’s political comeback last year would end with another downfall.

Paetongtarn was the third prime minister in her family, after her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, a telecom billionaire who has been one of Thailand’s top political operators, and her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, who was the country’s first female prime minister. Thaksin was ousted by a military coup in 2006 and Yingluck by a court ruling in 2014.

Thaksin remained beloved after his ouster among voters who saw in him and his allies a government that looked after their interests. While campaigning in 2022, Paetongtarn acknowledged her family ties but insisted she was not her father’s proxy. “It’s not the shadow of my dad. I am my dad’s daughter, always and forever, but I have my own decisions,” she said.

She also said she hoped her government would be able to “build opportunity and quality of life” and “make the country go forward.”

Paetongtarn was suspended Tuesday by the court pending an ethics investigation a leaked phone call with senior Cambodian leader Hun Sen that was perceived as damaging to Thailand’s interests and image.

Eroding trust capped by a diplomatic blunder

Her critics have said Paetongtarn’s government has achieved little. Marriage equality became law but was initiated under her predecessor. Controls on cannabis were retightened after public backlash over decriminalization, but the move and its enforcement were called rushed and confusing.

Her critics also cited unsatisfactory outcomes in other Pheu Thai party policies, like unequal minimum wage increases, constant changes in a cash handout program and the stalled and controversial legalization of casinos. They also noted the lack of progress in tariffs talks with the United States.

But analysts see the leaked call following border tensions with Cambodia to be the most disastrous event by far.

The outrage has centered  about an outspoken Thai army commander and the perception that she was trying to appease Hun Sen.

Paetongtarn apologized but also denied that she had damaged the country. She ignored calls for her to resign or dissolve Parliament to take responsibility, which critics saw as an attempt by the Pheu Thai party to cling to power.

Napon Jatusripitak, a political science researcher at Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, said her response seemed “totally disconnected from political reality” and that the scandal has exposed “her leadership failures and fuels accusations that she prioritizes family interests over national welfare.”

Adoration for the Shinawatra cools

Her father, Thaksin, is believed to be the key decision maker behind Pheu Thai, now led by Paetongtarn. Time and again, Thaksin-backed parties have prevailed in national elections but could not stay in office after legal rulings and destabilizing street protests engineered by Thaksin’s die-hard foes.

But in 2023, Thaksin alienated many of his old supporters with what looked like a self-serving deal with his former conservative opponents. It allowed his return from exile and his party to form the new government, while sidelining the progressive Move Forward Party, which finished first in a national election but was seen by the conservative establishment as a greater threat.

Now with the current crisis, things could drastically change for the Shinawatra family.

“In light of the recent controversy, the Shinawatra spell has been broken. The only viable Shinawatra scion is now tainted,” Napon said. “It would be an understatement to say that the Shinawatra name no longer guarantees electoral success.”

And not everything has been squared away with her family’s enemies. Yingluck remains in exile, and legal problems — arguably politically inspired — could send her to prison if she returns to Thailand. Thaksin also still faces some legal challenges.

Thailand’s royalist establishment has long been disturbed that Thaksin’s populist policies appeared to threaten their status and that of the monarchy at the heart of Thai identity.

Paetongtarn now also faces protests by familiar faces from the same conservative, pro-royalist group that opposed her father.

“History seems to be repeating itself in a way. Thailand seems trapped in a depressingly familiar cycle where Shinawatra-led governments come to power, only to face mounting pressure from traditional power centers, street protests, and extraparliamentary interventions that ultimately force them from office,” Napon said.

Court to investigate leaked phone call

The judges voted unanimously Tuesday to take the petition accusing her of a breach of ethics, and voted 7-2 to suspend her from duty as a prime minister. The court gave Paetongtarn 15 days to give evidence to support her case.

Paetongtarn has faced growing dissatisfaction over her handling of the latest border dispute with Cambodia, involving an armed confrontation on May 28 in which one Cambodian soldier was killed. The leaked phone call while she engaged in diplomacy with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen set off a string of complaints and public protests.

Paetongtarn said after the court order that she would accept the process and would do her best to defend herself, as she had no other intentions but to protect the country and preserve peace.

“I only thought about what to do to avoid troubles, what to do to avoid armed confrontation, for the soldiers not to suffer any loss. I wouldn’t be able to accept it if I said something with the other leader that could lead to negative consequences,” she said.

She also thanked her supporters and apologized to people upset over the leaked call. She left the Government House shortly after.

Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungruangkit is expected to become the acting prime minister, although there’s been no official confirmation.

Earlier Tuesday, before the court suspended Paetongtarn, King Maha Vajiralongkorn had endorsed a Cabinet reshuffle after a major party left the government coalition over the leaked phone call. The reshuffle had replaced Anutin Charvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, as deputy prime minister.

Paetongtarn took the position of culture minister in addition to prime minister in the new Cabinet, though it’s still unclear if she can take the oath to remain in that role.

Outrage over the call mostly revolved around Paetongtarn’s comments toward an outspoken regional army commander and her perceived attempts to appease Hun Sen to ease border tensions.

Thousands of conservative, nationalist-leaning protesters rallied in central Bangkok on Saturday to demand Paetongtarn’s resignation.

Paetongtarn also faces investigations over an alleged breach of ethics by the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, whose decision could also lead to her removal.

Senators behind moves against Paetongtarn and her ministers

The Constitutional Court last year removed her predecessor over a breach of ethics. Thailand’s courts, especially the Constitutional Court, are viewed as a bulwark of the royalist establishment, which has used them and nominally independent agencies such as the Election Commission to cripple or sink political opponents.

The complaint against Paetongtarn was filed by a group of senators elected last year to replace the 250 military-appointed members who had served in the upper chamber since 2019. Many of those senators face allegations of rigging the election that saw a majority of seats claimed by figures who are reportedly close to the Bhumjaithai Party.

Some senators also filed complaints against two ministers in Paetongtarn’s administration: Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong and Phumtham Wechayachai, a former defense minister who is set to become the new interior minister.

The court accepted a petition on May 14 accusing the two men of abuse of power related to the investigation into the alleged Senate vote rigging. On the same day, the court partially suspended Tawee from overseeing the Department of Special Investigation, which is in charge of the case.

The prime minister is a scion of a powerful family

Paetongtarn, 38, is the youngest daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, a popular but divisive former prime minister. Her suspension raised the possibility she could suffer a similar downfall to her predecessors in the political dynasty founded by her father.

Paetongtarn is the third Shinawatra to hold the job after her billionaire father and aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra. Both were removed from office and driven into exile following coups in 2006 and 2014.

Thaksin has faced several legal challenges since returning to Thailand in 2023. On Tuesday, he attended a court hearing in a case alleging he defamed the monarchy in 2015 in remarks to journalists in Seoul, South Korea.

He also is under investigation over his hospital detention after his return to face an eight-year prison term on charges related to corruption and abuse of power.

He was transferred almost immediately to a hospital and later was granted clemency because of his age and health without spending a single night in jail. The complaints argue he avoided properly serving his sentence and raise the possibilty Thaksin could be forced to serve prison time.