The Constitutional Court in Thailand has voted six to three, removing the country’s prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, from office for violating ethics in a leaked June phone call.
Paetongtarn was heard in a leaked phone call calling Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen “uncle” and criticising the Thai army. The call, leaked by Hun himself, damaged the PM’s reputation, with critics accusing her of undermining the Thai army.
The court’s nine judges voted on Friday to rule that the prime minister’s action violated the ethical standards expected of her office.
Critics say the decision has thrown the Southeast Asian country into political turmoil and dealt a blow to its most powerful political dynasty.
Paetongtarn, the daughter of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, is the fifth PM to be removed from office by the court since 2008.
The court said that she possessed a “personal relationship” that “appeared to align with Cambodia” and dismissed her claims that the call was a “personal negotiation to… bring back peace without using violence.”
According to the ruling, the PM’s action “caused the public to cast doubt” on whether her actions “would benefit Cambodia more than the nation’s interest.”
Paetongtarn’s call came as tensions rose on the Thai-Cambodia border, which weeks later erupted into a five-day conflict in which dozens of people were killed and hundreds of thousands fled their homes.
Although Paetontarn acknowledged the court’s verdict, she insisted that she was trying to save lives.
Paetongtarn, 39, had only joined Pheu Thai in 2021 and rose to power after her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, was dismissed by the Constitutional Court for appointing an ally to his Cabinet who had been jailed for trying to bribe a judge.
She is from the powerful Shinawatra family, which has presided over several Thai governments. She is the third Shinawatra to have her premiership cut short: her father Thaksin was deposed by a military coup in 2006, and her aunt Yingluck was also removed by the Constitutional Court in 2014.
Her replacement will be chosen by parliament, where her party has a thin majority, with Chaikasem Nitisiri, 77, a former justice minister, as the likely candidate. Anutin Charnvirakul, of Bhumjaithai, is also among the front-runners.
