Bangkok: Thailand’s Constitutional Court has removed suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office, ruling that she had committed ethical misconduct in a controversial phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen.
The ruling, delivered by a nine-judge panel, declared that Paetongtarn had seriously violated the standards of conduct required of a head of government when she privately addressed Hun Sen during the border dispute. By a majority vote of 6–3, the court said her premiership had individually terminated, effective immediately.
Paetongtarn, 39, becomes the fifth Thai leader to be dismissed by judicial ruling since 2008, underscoring the enduring role of the courts in shaping the country’s political direction.
She is also the second prime minister to be ousted within a year, after her predecessor Srettha Thavisin was disqualified on separate ethical grounds. The judgment centred on a leaked recording in which Paetongtarn referred to Hun Sen as ‘uncle’ while disparaging a senior Thai military commander as an ‘opponent.’
The court found that the conversation, which took place as tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border escalated into deadly clashes, placed her personal ties above national interests and eroded public trust.
Speaking after the ruling, Paetongtarn defended her actions, insisting that she had sought to protect the nation. “My intentions were for the benefit of the country, not for personal gain, but for the lives of the people, including civilians and soldiers,” she told reporters.
The decision also feeds into wider tensions surrounding the Shinawatra family, a political dynasty long opposed by Thailand’s conservative establishment. Paetongtarn’s father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, recently returned from exile to serve a reduced sentence for corruption. While he was cleared last week of a lèse-majesté charge, he still faces a case over his controversial hospital stay following his return. Supporters of the family argue that the verdict is part of a concerted effort by the establishment to erase the Shinawatras from politics.
Under Thailand’s military-drafted constitution, only party-nominated candidates from the 2023 elections are eligible to become prime minister. Pheu Thai still has one nominee, veteran politician Chaikasem Nitisiri, 77, though conservative parties are expected to put forward alternatives, including Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul and former coup leader Prayuth Chan-ocha.
If parliament fails to agree on a successor, Thailand could be forced into a snap election. But experts caution that fresh polls may not break the deadlock.
