Thai Court Ousts PM Over Leaked Cambodia Call

Thailand’s Constitutional Court removed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office on Friday, ruling that she violated constitutional ethics during a leaked June 15 phone call with Cambodia’s former leader and current Senate president, Hun Sen.. The 6–3 decision ends Paetongtarn’s year-long tenure and deepens a political crisis already rattled by coalition fractures and border tensions.
The court found that Paetongtarn’s conduct on the call, where she addressed Hun Sen in familiar terms and appeared to criticize a Thai army commander, placed personal ties above Thailand’s national interest, breaching the ethical standards required of a prime minister. Hun Sen later released audio of the conversation online, fueling public backlash and petitions to the court.
The controversy unfolded amid a sharp escalation along the Thai-Cambodian frontier. In the weeks after the recording surfaced, Thai and Cambodian forces exchanged fire for five days, leaving dozens dead and displacing hundreds of thousands, further intensifying scrutiny of the prime minister’s handling of the crisis.
Paetongtarn, 39, had already been suspended from her duties on July 1 while the court considered the petitions. Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai continues as caretaker leader while Parliament selects a new premier from parties’ pre-submitted nominee lists. Pheu Thai, Paetongtarn’s party, has one remaining nominee, veteran politician Chaikasem Nitisiri, while Bhumjaithai Party chief Anutin Charnvirakul is positioned as a key rival.
Friday’s ruling marks the latest shock to Thailand’s turbulent politics and the third time a member of the Shinawatra family has been removed from the premiership by the courts. It also underscores the enduring power of non-elected institutions in shaping the country’s leadership and policy direction.

Source- AP News, BBC News, The Guardian, Gulf News.