Bangkok, July 1, 2025: Thailand’s Constitutional Court has suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra following public uproar over a leaked phone conversation with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. The court, in a 7-2 ruling, placed her on temporary leave while it considers a petition demanding her removal from office.
The leaked audio clip, in which Paetongtarn affectionately referred to Hun Sen as “uncle” and criticized a top Thai military commander, sparked widespread backlash and intensified political pressure. Critics, especially from conservative factions, accused her of undermining Thailand’s military and national interests, particularly amid rising tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border after the killing of a Cambodian soldier in May.
Paetongtarn, 38, has 15 days to present her defense. In the interim, the deputy prime minister will assume her duties as acting leader. However, she will retain her role as culture minister—an appointment made just hours before her suspension, following a cabinet reshuffle.
Apologizing once again on Tuesday, Paetongtarn defended the call, saying it was aimed at defusing tensions and preventing conflict. “I had no intent to act for personal gain. I was trying to prevent chaos, violence, and the loss of life,” she said. “If you listened carefully, you’d understand there was no ill intent.”
If dismissed, Paetongtarn would become the third member of the powerful Shinawatra family—and the second Pheu Thai Party leader within a year—to lose the premiership. Her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, was removed by the same court in August 2024 for appointing a convicted ex-lawyer to his cabinet.
The Shinawatra dynasty has dominated Thai politics for over two decades but has often clashed with the country’s conservative establishment. Critics argue the Constitutional Court is increasingly being used to sideline popular political figures, pointing out that it has dissolved 34 political parties since 2006—including the reformist Move Forward Party, which won the most seats in the 2023 general elections.
“This has become a pattern in Thai politics—a misuse of legal mechanisms to control the political landscape,” said Titipol Phakdeewanich, a political science professor at Ubon Ratchathani University. “Still, many Thais viewed the court’s decision as legitimate due to the nature of the leaked call.”
Paetongtarn is Thailand’s youngest-ever prime minister and only the second woman to hold the office, following her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra. Her popularity, however, has sharply declined, with her approval rating dropping to just 9.2% last weekend, down from 30.9% in March, amid economic challenges and political uncertainty.
The court’s decision coincides with legal troubles for Paetongtarn’s father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who faces charges under Thailand’s strict lese majeste laws. His trial began Tuesday over remarks made in a 2015 interview. Thaksin returned to Thailand in 2023 after 15 years in self-imposed exile as part of a controversial political compromise between his Pheu Thai Party and former conservative rivals, including military and royalist groups.
