Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from duty, dealing a major blow to a government already grappling with political unrest and internal fractures.
The court accepted a petition from 36 senators accusing Paetongtarn of breaching ethical standards and acting dishonestly, following the leak of a sensitive June 15 phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. In the call, Paetongtarn appeared to criticize a Thai army commander and sought to calm rising tensions at the border — remarks that sparked public outrage and led to accusations of undermining national sovereignty.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra leaves after a cabinet meeting, as Thailand’s Constitutional Court is expected to meet on Tuesday to consider a petition by 36 senators that accuses her of dishonesty and breaching ethnical standards in violation of the constitution over a leaked telephone conversation with Cambodia’s influential former leader Hun Sen, at the Government House, in Bangkok, Thailand, July 1, 2025. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
“My true intention 100% was to work for the country to maintain our sovereignty and save the lives of all our soldiers,” Paetongtarn told reporters from Reuters, after the court’s decision, apologizing for the fallout from the call.
The scandal has weakened her fragile ruling coalition, which now holds a razor-thin majority after a major party withdrew its support. Protest groups have since intensified calls for her resignation and a new government.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra speaks after Thailand’s Constitutional Court suspended her from duty pending a case seeking her dismissal, at the Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, July 1, 2025. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Paetongtarn, 37, Thailand’s youngest-ever premier and the fourth Shinawatra to hold the office, assumed power just ten months ago after former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was dismissed by the court. Her administration has struggled to revive a flagging economy and her approval rating has dropped sharply—from 30.9% in March to just 9.2% in June.
Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit has stepped in as caretaker leader, while Paetongtarn has been reassigned as culture minister in a cabinet reshuffle. She has 15 days to respond to the court’s case.
The crisis adds to growing pressure on the powerful Shinawatra family. Paetongtarn’s father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, appeared in court Tuesday over charges of insulting the monarchy — an offence that carries up to 15 years in prison. Thaksin, 75, returned from 15 years of self-imposed exile in 2023 to serve a prison sentence but was released on parole earlier this year after six months in hospital detention. The Supreme Court is set to review the legitimacy of that hospital stay later this month.
Pheu Thai supporters gather to support former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is facing charges of insulting the monarchy under Thailand’s strict lese-majeste law as well as violating the Computer Crime Act, as he leaves a Criminal Court after a trial, in Bangkok, Thailand, July 1, 2025. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa
As political instability deepens, Thai markets reacted with optimism for potential central bank rate cuts, with shares jumping 1.8% after the midday break
