BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand’s Constitutional Court has suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra as it considers a petition seeking her dismissal over a controversial leaked phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen, deepening the political uncertainty engulfing her fragile coalition government.
In the call, which recently surfaced online, Paetongtarn referred to Hun Sen as “uncle” and criticised a senior Thai military commander, triggering widespread backlash and accusations of undermining national sovereignty.
The court voted 7–2 on Wednesday to suspend the 38-year-old leader pending a final ruling.
She now has 15 days to respond to the allegations. Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungruangkit has been appointed acting prime minister.
The case threatens to make Paetongtarn the third Shinawatra family member to lose power prematurely, after her father Thaksin Shinawatra and aunt Yingluck Shinawatra were ousted in earlier political crises.
Her suspension also marks the second time in less than a year that a prime minister from the ruling Pheu Thai party has been sidelined.
Former PM Srettha Thavisin was removed last August over a controversial cabinet appointment.
Mounting Pressure, Falling Ratings
Paetongtarn’s grip on power has been steadily weakening. Her ruling coalition, already precarious, suffered a blow two weeks ago when a key conservative partner withdrew support, leaving her government with a razor-thin majority.
Public discontent has grown amid a struggling economy and high-profile diplomatic stumbles.
Her approval rating, once buoyant, plunged to just 9.2% in a recent poll, down sharply from 30.9% in March.
In a bid to quell the outrage, Paetongtarn apologised for the remarks made in the leaked call, claiming they were part of a “negotiation technique” related to sensitive border issues with Cambodia.
But critics, especially among conservative lawmakers and the military establishment, accused her of compromising national security and showing deference to a foreign power.
Thaksin’s Shadow Looms Large
The court’s decision coincides with fresh legal troubles for Thaksin Shinawatra, Paetongtarn’s father and the most influential figure behind her political rise.
Thaksin, who returned to Thailand in 2023 after 15 years in self-imposed exile, is now facing trial under the country’s harsh lese majeste laws for allegedly insulting the monarchy in a 2015 interview with a South Korean media outlet.
His return was widely viewed as part of a behind-the-scenes deal between the Pheu Thai party and former military-aligned adversaries, aiming to stabilise Thai politics. But critics now question whether that uneasy alliance is fracturing.
The Constitutional Court’s final ruling could significantly alter Thailand’s political landscape.
If Paetongtarn is removed, it would deepen the crisis for the Shinawatra dynasty and the Pheu Thai party, once dominant but now navigating a minefield of political compromises and public disillusionment.
