Thai court ousts PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra in fresh political storm

Thailand has been thrown into another wave of political turmoil after the country’s Constitutional Court removed suspended prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office, ruling that a leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen amounted to a breach of ethics.

Paetongtarn, 38, became Thailand’s youngest prime minister when she took office in August 2024. But after just one year in power, her time at the helm has been cut short. In a 6–3 decision announced on Friday, judges declared she “lacks the qualifications and possesses prohibited characteristics” under the constitution, effectively disqualifying her from office.

At the centre of the case was a private phone conversation in June, during a flare-up in border tensions with Cambodia. In the leaked audio, Paetongtarn was heard addressing Hun Sen—Cambodia’s long-serving former prime minister and an old ally of her father, Thaksin Shinawatra—as “uncle,” while criticising a Thai army commander for his handling of the clashes. She also told Hun Sen: “If you want anything, just tell me, and I will take care of it.”

For the court, those remarks crossed a line. Judges said she had shown a lack of honesty and integrity, and had seriously violated ethical standards.

Political and public backlash

The timing of the leak could not have been worse. Nationalist anger in Thailand was already inflamed after the skirmishes along the border left at least 38 people dead, most of them civilians, and forced hundreds of thousands to flee. Critics accused Paetongtarn of undermining the army and compromising national interests.Paetongtarn apologised to the Thai public, saying her words had been part of a negotiating strategy intended to calm tensions. After Friday’s verdict, she told reporters: “This is another time that the court’s decision has created a sudden political change. As a Thai, I love my nation, religion and the king. Thank you everyone who gave me knowledge and experience.”

The ruling was not entirely unexpected. In July, the court had already suspended her from prime ministerial duties by a wide margin, though she stayed on in government as culture minister.

History repeating itself

Paetongtarn is now the fifth prime minister linked to the Shinawatra political dynasty to be unseated by the Constitutional Court. Her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, remains one of Thailand’s most divisive figures. Since his removal from office nearly two decades ago, courts and military coups have repeatedly dismantled governments aligned with him, fuelling accusations that the judiciary is aligned with conservative royalist forces.

The court has also dissolved more than 100 political parties over the years, including two earlier versions of Thaksin’s Pheu Thai party and Move Forward, the reformist group that won the 2023 election but was barred from governing. Few countries in the world see such heavy judicial intervention in politics.

Weak leadership and stalled promises

Despite her high profile as the youngest prime minister in Thai history, Paetongtarn struggled to establish authority. Many Thais believed her father, recently back from exile, was still making the big decisions behind the scenes.

Her flagship policies faltered. A proposed digital wallet scheme—designed to give 10,000 baht (£178) to every Thai adult—was bogged down by criticism and funding concerns. Other high-profile pledges, such as legalising casinos and building a “land bridge” linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans, never materialised.

At the same time, her family’s once-close relationship with Hun Sen stirred suspicion among conservatives, particularly after the outbreak of border fighting. To her opponents, the leaked call was proof that business and personal ties still trumped national interest.