Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Friday removed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and her cabinet over her handling of a border dispute with Cambodia, plunging the kingdom into political turmoil.
Paetongtarn, daughter of billionaire former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, was suspended from office last month after being accused of failing to stand up for Thailand during a June phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen.
The conversation, which was later leaked online, became the focus of an ethics case.
The nine-judge panel voted six to three against her, ruling that she had failed to uphold the ethical standards required of a prime minister, according to a report by Agence France-Presse.
“Her actions have led to a loss of trust, prioritising personal interest over national interest, which fuelled public suspicion that she was siding with Cambodia and diminished confidence in her as PM among Thai citizens,” one judge read in the ruling.
“The defendant has not upheld the ethical code of conduct. Her tenure as prime minister effectively ended with the suspension on July 1,” the court added.
The verdict also dissolved Paetongtarn’s cabinet, one year after the same court ousted her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, in an unrelated ethics case.
Contentious phone call
The controversy centered on Paetongtarn’s call with Hun Sen, Cambodia’s longtime leader and father of its current prime minister, in which they discussed their countries’ simmering border dispute. During the conversation, she addressed Hun Sen as “uncle” and referred to a Thai military commander as her “opponent.”
The remarks provoked fury in Thailand, where the military wields significant influence. Conservative lawmakers accused her of undermining the armed forces, while her coalition partner withdrew from the government in protest. Senators later petitioned the Constitutional Court, arguing she breached constitutional provisions requiring “evident integrity” and “ethical standards.”
Paetongtarn defended her actions after Friday’s ruling, saying: “My intentions were for the benefit of the country not for personal gain, but for the lives of the people, including civilians and soldiers.”
Uncertain political future
The 39-year-old led a fragile coalition between her Pheu Thai party and smaller conservative groups long opposed to the Shinawatras. With her dismissal, Thailand faces renewed uncertainty, as only candidates nominated in the 2023 general election are eligible to become prime minister.
Many of those candidates are either ineligible, lack party backing, face legal challenges, or are in poor health. It remains unclear whether acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has the authority to call new elections.
Long-running political divide
The ruling marks another chapter in Thailand’s two-decade political struggle between the conservative, pro-military, pro-royalist establishment and the Shinawatra family, seen by critics as a threat to the traditional order. Paetongtarn became the sixth Shinawatra-aligned leader to be unseated by the Constitutional Court.
Only her father, Thaksin, has survived court challenges, while others have been ousted for reasons ranging from electoral violations to appearing on a television cookery show.
The case also strained Thai-Cambodian relations after Hun Sen released the full call online, to Bangkok’s anger. In July, the border tensions escalated into the deadliest clashes between the two countries in decades, leaving more than 40 people dead and forcing 300,000 from their homes.
