Thai Court Removes PM Over Leaked Call With Cambodia’s Hun Sen
Thailand’s Constitutional Court has removed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office, throwing the country into fresh political turmoil and striking another blow to its most powerful political dynasty.
The 39-year-old leader was dismissed on Friday after a 6–3 ruling found she violated ethical standards in a leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former prime minister Hun Sen. In the June call—released by Hun Sen himself—Paetongtarn referred to him as “uncle” and criticized the Thai military amid growing border tensions. The disclosure fueled accusations that she had undermined the army and sided with a foreign government.
Paetongtarn acknowledged the verdict but insisted her intent was to save lives. Weeks after the call, fighting erupted on the Thai-Cambodia border, killing dozens and displacing hundreds of thousands.
Her removal marks the fifth time since 2008 that a Thai prime minister has been ousted by the court, and the third Shinawatra to see their premiership cut short. Her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, was toppled in a 2006 coup, while her aunt Yingluck was dismissed in 2014.
Paetongtarn entered politics in 2021, quickly rising after her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, was removed for appointing a cabinet member with a criminal record. But her government’s stability collapsed after its main coalition partner, the conservative Bhumjaithai party, withdrew support over the leaked call, leaving her Pheu Thai party with a fragile majority.
Parliament will now select her successor without dissolving the chamber. Leading contenders include Chaikasem Nitisiri, 77, a veteran from Pheu Thai, and Anutin Charnvirakul of Bhumjaithai.
The ruling has cast uncertainty over the Shinawatra family’s enduring influence. Though Thaksin has long stepped back from formal politics, his name still loomed large over Thai affairs—until now.
