Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended after a leaked private phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen sparked political crisis and public uproar.
At a Glance
- The Constitutional Court suspended the Prime Minister on July 1, 2025, pending an ethics investigation.
- A leaked June 15 call revealed Paetongtarn calling Hun Sen “uncle” and criticizing a Thai military commander.
- The breach prompted the Bhumjaithai Party’s withdrawal and triggered nationwide protests.
- Thailand’s stock market slid after the leak, reflecting investor anxiety.
- Temporary Deputy PM Suriya Juangroongruangkit now leads a caretaker government.
Leaked Diplomacy Sparks National Uproar
The controversy began with a June 15 phone call between Paetongtarn and Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen, mediated by interpreter Khleang Huot, discussing border tensions following a May 28 clash that killed a Cambodian soldier.
Hun Sen released a recording on June 18, in which Paetongtarn referred to him as “uncle,” urged him not to heed a Thai military commander, and expressed deference that critics branded as undermining national sovereignty. Her remarks sparked immediate fallout: the Bhumjaithai Party exited the coalition the same day, stripping her government of its majority.
Thailand’s stock exchange reacted swiftly, with a significant dip reflecting investor unease over the political instability and looming leadership vacuum.
Watch a report: Court suspends Thai PM Paetongtarn over leaked phone call.
Court Says Ethics Breached, Protesters Demand Exit
On July 1, the Constitutional Court voted 7–2 to suspend Paetongtarn pending a formal ethics probe, citing her tone and comments as violations of the office’s dignity. She has 15 days to respond to the court’s summons or face removal.
Meanwhile, massive protests erupted across Bangkok, with over 20,000 demonstrators—primarily Yellow Shirt conservatives—gathering at Victory Monument on June 28 to demand her resignation and denounce foreign interference.
Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit now serves as caretaker leader, though Paetongtarn retains leadership of the Pheu Thai Party and her post as culture minister.
Regional Fallout and Dynasty’s Decline
The uproar revives Thailand’s dynastic tensions, with Paetongtarn becoming the third Shinawatra family member—after Thaksin and Yingluck—to face judicial removal. Her lineage, while electorally potent, has long faced institutional pushback from military and royalist elites.
The crisis also exacerbates a simmering Cambodia–Thailand border dispute, rooted in colonial-era territorial claims and reignited by the May skirmish in Chong Bok. Cambodia has since moved to elevate the matter to the International Court of Justice, while Thailand has reinforced its military presence in the region.
Analysts warn that unless Thailand reforms its constitutional order to allow elected governments real autonomy, the nation will remain trapped in cycles of populist resurgence followed by elite retaliation—a recurring pattern that now threatens the very survival of the Shinawatra dynasty.
