Thailand’s prime minister dismissed from position over compromising phone call with Cambodian leader

Thailand’s Constitutional Court made a landmark decision on Friday, dismissing Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from her position due to a violation of constitutional rules on ethics. The ruling came after a leaked phone call between Paetongtarn and Cambodia’s Senate President Hun Sen, where she appeared overly friendly and criticized a Thai army general in discussing a matter of national security.

The decision means that Paetongtarn immediately loses her job, which she had held for about a year. She was suspended from her duties on July 1 when the court agreed to hear the case against her, and Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai took over her responsibilities.

The leaked call was aimed at easing tensions over competing claims to territory along the Thai-Cambodian border but sparked outrage in Thailand. The audio of the call was leaked online by Hun Sen, triggering a diplomatic crisis between the two countries. The tensions escalated further when a brief incident of violence in disputed territory resulted in a five-day combat that killed dozens of people and displaced more than 260,000.

The court’s ruling not only affects Paetongtarn but also puts the ruling coalition led by her Pheu Thai party on shaky ground. The controversy over the phone call caused the Bhumjaithai Party, the biggest partner of Pheu Thai, to drop out, leaving the coalition with a slim majority of seats in the House of Representatives.

This decision is also a blow to the political influence of Paetongtarn’s father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who has been a dominant force in Thai politics despite being ousted from power by a military coup in 2006. Thaksin’s support for proxy parties like Pheu Thai has been a significant factor in his continued influence, along with his populist policies and vast fortune earned in the telecommunications sector.

The court’s ruling has significant implications for Thailand’s political landscape and raises questions about the future direction of the country’s leadership. The dismissal of Paetongtarn Shinawatra marks a turning point in Thai politics and sets the stage for potential changes in the ruling coalition and the broader political landscape.