Thailand's Constitutional Court Ousts Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra

Thailand’s Constitutional Court has again removed a prime minister, ruling that Paetongtarn Shinawatra breached ethical standards in a June phone call with Cambodia’s Hun Sen. In the recording, leaked by Hun Sen, she appeared conciliatory over a border dispute and criticized a Thai army commander.

Paetongtarn defended her remarks as an attempt to secure a diplomatic breakthrough with an old friend of her father, former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, and argued the call was confidential. However, the leak embarrassed her administration and prompted her largest coalition partner to withdraw support, leaving her with a razor-thin majority.

In July, seven of nine judges suspended her, foreshadowing Friday’s decision to strip her of office. Paetongtarn is the fifth premier removed by the court, all from Thaksin-backed governments. Critics argue the judiciary consistently targets leaders perceived as threats by Thailand’s conservative, royalist establishment.

The court has dissolved 112 parties, including two former iterations of Pheu Thai and Move Forward, the 2023 election winners. Few countries see political life policed so strictly by the judiciary.

Hun Sen’s decision to leak the call followed Paetongtarn’s comment describing Cambodia’s use of social media as “unprofessional,” which he deemed “an unprecedented insult” and compelled him to “reveal the truth.” The fallout ignited a border clash that left over 40 fatalities.

Thailand’s constitution now forces MPs to select a new prime minister from a limited list. Pheu Thai has exhausted two candidates after last year’s court ouster of Srettha Thavisin. Their final nominee, Chaikasem Nitisiri, a former minister in poor health, faces low public recognition. The alternative, Anutin Charnvirakul of the breakaway Bhumjaithai party, would depend on Pheu Thai’s support, straining relations further.

The People’s Party, composed of ex–Move Forward MPs, has vowed to remain in opposition until new elections. While a fresh vote seems the clearest solution, Pheu Thai resists, having failed to deliver its economic revival promises over two years.

Paetongtarn’s lack of authority reinforced perceptions that Thaksin still held power. Pheu Thai’s flagship digital wallet program has stalled and drawn criticism, while grand infrastructure and casino legalization plans have stagnated. Rising nationalist sentiment over the Cambodian conflict and the Shinawatras’ ties to Hun Sen have fueled conservative distrust of their priorities.

Once dominant, Pheu Thai’s popularity has plummeted, and it risks losing many of its 140 seats in a new election. After 20 years of electoral dominance, the party faces an uncertain future.

Thailand’s deep-rooted judicial interventions and a high-stakes diplomatic leak have precipitated another prime ministerial ouster, underscoring persistent instability and conservative influence in Thai politics.

This topic was reported by BBC.

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