Thai Court Suspends Prime Minister Following Leaked Phone Call 

Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office pending an ethics investigation into her alleged deferential stance during a leaked phone call between her and a former Cambodian leader, in which the two discussed a recent border dispute, the Associated Press reported. 

The court accepted a petition from 36 senators, which accused Paetongtarn of dishonesty and a breach of ethical standards following the leak of the audio of a June 15 phone call with Hun Sen, the former prime minister of Cambodia, who still holds considerable influence in the country, Reuters noted. 

Judges voted 7-2 to immediately suspend Paetongtarn from her post until the court makes a ruling. The suspended prime minister now has 15 days to counter the charges.  

Suriya Juangroongruangkit, deputy prime minister and transport minister, will take over and serve as acting prime minister. 

Paetongtarn defended her behavior while apologizing to the people offended by the leaked phone call. 

The prime minister has faced growing public anger over how she handled a recent border dispute with Cambodia, which saw the two countries exchange fire in May. One Cambodian soldier was killed.  

The goal of the phone call was to de-escalate tensions, according to the prime minister, but instead, it set off a series of public complaints accusing Paetongtarn of appeasement and unprofessionalism and of being too deferential toward Hun Sen. 

In the leaked audio, posted to Hun Sen’s Facebook page, Paetongtarn called the Cambodian leader “uncle,” said she was under domestic pressure, and urged Hun Sen to opt for a peaceful resolution to the dispute.  

Following the leak, the Bhumjaithai Party left the prime minister’s coalition government, leaving it with a razor-thin majority, and accused Paetongtarn of undermining sovereignty. The leak also triggered large protests over the weekend, demanding Paetongtarn’s resignation. 

Paetongtarn’s suspension may cause renewed instability in Thailand, a still fragile democracy that has faced repeated bouts of political unrest over the past few years, and is also facing an economic slowdown.  

Meanwhile, analysts say the conservative establishment, including the military, believes the political dynasty started by Paetongtarn’s father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has become too powerful. 

Paetongtarn is the third in her family to serve as prime minister and could also become the third to be removed before the end of her term. Thaksin was removed from office in a 2006 coup, while his sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, was ousted in 2014 by a court, followed by a coup.