Thailand’s Constitutional Court has suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra as it considers a petition seeking her dismissal over a leaked phone conversation with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen.
The controversial clip, in which Paetongtarn refers to Hun Sen as “uncle” and criticizes a senior Thai military commander, sparked a public outcry and triggered calls for her resignation.
Her comments have particularly enraged conservative lawmakers, who accuse her of appeasing a foreign power and undermining the military.
In a 7-2 decision, the court ordered her immediate suspension pending its ruling on whether she should be removed from office. Paetongtarn now has 15 days to submit her defense.
Her ouster would mark the third time a member of the influential Shinawatra family—long dominant in Thai politics—has been forced from office before completing a term.
She currently heads a fragile ruling coalition with a slim parliamentary majority, which became even more unstable after the defection of a key conservative ally two weeks ago.
While suspended as prime minister, Paetongtarn will continue to serve in the cabinet as culture minister, a position she was appointed to just hours before the court’s decision following a cabinet reshuffle. Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai will act as interim leader.
On Tuesday, Paetongtarn publicly apologized again, insisting that her conversation with Hun Sen was in Thailand’s national interest.
“The purpose of the call was more than 100% for the country,” she said, explaining that it focused on de-escalating a decades-old border dispute that recently flared up after a Cambodian soldier was killed in May.
“I had no intent to benefit personally. I only thought about avoiding chaos, preventing conflict, and saving lives,” she said. “If you listen carefully, you’ll understand that I had no ill intentions.”
If dismissed, Paetongtarn would be the second Pheu Thai prime minister to lose office in less than a year. Her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, was removed in August 2024 after the court ruled he had improperly appointed a cabinet member with a criminal conviction.
Paetongtarn, 38, is Thailand’s youngest-ever prime minister and only the second woman to hold the post, following her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra.
Her political ascent has been closely linked to her father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and lived in exile for 15 years before returning to Thailand in 2023.
The court’s decision came the same day Thaksin appeared in court to face charges under the country’s strict lese majeste laws. The case relates to comments he made in a 2015 interview with a South Korean newspaper, which authorities claim insulted the monarchy.
Critics say the constitutional court has become a tool for dismantling elected governments. Since 2006, it has dissolved 34 political parties, including the reformist Move Forward Party, which won the most seats in the 2023 general election but was blocked from forming a government.
“This has become a pattern in Thai politics,” said Titipol Phakdeewanich, a political science lecturer at Ubon Ratchathani University. “It’s not how a democratic political process is supposed to function.
But in this case, many people viewed the suspension as legitimate because the leaked conversation raised real questions about the prime minister’s loyalty to the national interest.”
Paetongtarn’s political standing has declined sharply in recent months, with her approval rating dropping to 9.2% in late June from 30.9% in March. Her government continues to struggle with a sluggish economy and growing discontent among key constituencies.
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