Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from her duties, marking a serious blow to her administration less than a year into her term.
The court accepted a petition from 36 senators accusing her of dishonesty and ethical breaches, stemming from a leaked June 15 phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. The conversation sparked public outrage and political turmoil after Paetongtarn was heard criticizing a Thai army commander and appearing overly deferential to Hun Sen.
The fallout caused a key coalition party to exit, leaving her government with only a narrow majority and facing growing protest threats.
Paetongtarn, Thailand’s youngest-ever prime minister and the fourth member of the Shinawatra family to hold the position, has seen her popularity drop amid economic woes and political missteps. Her approval rating dropped sharply from 30.9% in March to just 9.2% in June.
In a statement, she apologized for the leaked call, saying her intention was to protect Thai sovereignty and avoid conflict. The ongoing saga underscores the enduring rivalry between the Shinawatra political dynasty and the military-backed establishment, a conflict that has shaped Thai politics for over two decades.
Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit has stepped in as caretaker leader while Paetongtarn, reassigned as culture minister, has 15 days to respond to the court.
Meanwhile, her father and political patriarch Thaksin Shinawatra is facing his own legal troubles. He appeared in court Tuesday on charges of insulting the monarchy in a 2015 interview during his long exile.
Though Thaksin returned to Thailand last year, served part of his sentence in hospital detention and was later paroled, the Supreme Court is now reviewing the legitimacy of his medical stay and may order him back to prison, further deepening the Shinawatra family’s political crisis.
Shongjog 