Thai Court Ousted PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra Over Leaked Phone Call

In a 6–3 verdict delivered on Friday, August 29, the court declared that Paetongtarn, 38, the youngest leader in Thai history and daughter of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, had put personal ties before the national interest during a telephone call with Cambodia’s former strongman Hun Sen.

The decision abruptly ended a premiership that had lasted little more than a year, and thrust Thailand once more into political turmoil, renewing questions about the fragility of its democracy and the enduring enmity between the Shinawatra dynasty and the conservative establishment.

The case against Paetongtarn revolved around a leaked conversation on June 15. In the call, she referred to Hun Sen as “uncle”, pledged to “take care” of his concerns, and disparaged a Thai army commander. The timing was incendiary: border tensions were rising, and within days clashes between Thai and Cambodian forces left soldiers dead and wounded.

For the court, her conduct amounted to an abdication of duty. By placing personal loyalty above national security, the judges ruled, she had “diminished the dignity of the armed forces and undermined the defence of sovereignty”.

The controversy was compounded by a petition from 36 senators accusing her of dishonesty and ethical misconduct. Under Thailand’s constitutional order, the case went directly to the Constitutional Court, which suspended her from office on July 1 pending the ruling.

A Sacked Dynasty?

Paetongtarn’s removal makes her the third member of her family to be ousted from the premiership, following her father Thaksin, deposed in a 2006 coup, and her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra, dismissed by the same court in 2014. For supporters of the dynasty, this serves as additional proof that the system is biased against them; for critics, it confirms the family’s tendency to overreach.

Her rise had been swift. Entering politics in 2022, she was elected prime minister two years later on a wave of youthful enthusiasm, digital populism and the enduring support base of the Pheu Thai Party. She promised reform and renewal, but her premiership lasted barely a year before it was derailed.

After the ruling, Paetongtarn addressed reporters in Bangkok, her voice firm but restrained:

“All I wanted was to safeguard the lives of people, whether soldiers or civilians. I was determined to do all I can to protect them before violence erupted. I will take this experience as a lesson. I thank those who worked with me, pointed out my flaws and raised my strengths.”

Earlier, when first suspended in July, she had apologised for the call but insisted she had acted in good faith:

“I didn’t want anything for myself. I was only thinking about how to avoid fighting and bloodshed … I reaffirm that I truly intended to serve the nation.”

Some analysts argue that Paetongtarn’s rise to power was closely tied to her father’s influence, while questioning whether she had the experience or preparation required for the premiership. Photo: Wiki Commons

A Nation in Political Limbo

For now, Phumtham Wechayachai, a senior figure in Pheu Thai, continues as caretaker prime minister, but parliament must elect a permanent successor. There is no set timetable, and analysts warn of a prolonged stalemate.

The party retains one remaining nominee, Chaikasem Nitisiri, a former attorney-general with limited popular appeal. Outside the ruling bloc, names such as Prayuth Chan-ocha, the retired general who led the 2014 coup, and Anutin Charnvirakul, head of the Bhumjaithai Party, are being floated.

“The process will be fraught,” said Stithorn Thananithichot, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University. “It will be difficult and may take considerable time.”

The verdict comes against a backdrop of economic uncertainty. Growth this year is expected to be sluggish—Thailand’s central bank projects around 2.3%, while the World Bank sees it dipping to 1.8%, hampered by weak consumption, structural fragilities, and political instability. Analysts warn that the developing leadership vacuum may erode investor confidence further, placing Thailand’s regional credibility under strain.

Public reaction to the ruling was predictably polarised. Supporters of Pheu Thai denounced it as another intervention by unelected institutions to thwart the people’s will. Critics countered that Paetongtarn had blurred the line between private allegiance and official responsibility, leaving the court little choice.

The verdict has also strained Thailand’s diplomatic standing. Hun Sen, though no longer Cambodia’s prime minister, remains its most powerful political figure. His personal rapport with the Shinawatra family has long been a source of suspicion in Bangkok. The court’s judgment was explicit that such ties were inappropriate during an active border conflict.

For the Shinawatra dynasty, the ruling is another blow in a decades-long battle. Thaksin, who returned from exile last year, had hoped his daughter’s premiership would consolidate the family’s influence and bring reconciliation with the establishment. Instead, the pattern has repeated: electoral triumph followed by judicial removal.

Nevertheless, in comparison to his daughter’s fate, Thaksin has been more fortunate. He received a royal pardon that reduced his prison sentence, and just last week he was acquitted in a lèse-majesté case stemming from remarks he made in a 2015 overseas interview, with the court citing insufficient evidence. Yet his legal battles are not over, on September 9, the Supreme Court will rule on whether his prolonged hospital stay in 2023, following his return from exile, should count toward his sentence.

Paetongtarn’s premiership was marked by ambitious but controversial initiatives, from digital handouts to proposals for legalised casinos. Her dismissal halts those projects and leaves her political future in doubt. Allies insist she will remain in public life, but her path back to the premiership appears blocked for the foreseeable future.

Ultimately, the case underscores Thailand’s unresolved dilemma: elected leaders repeatedly swept to office only to be sidelined by the judiciary or military. With parliament now facing the choice of a caretaker successor or fresh elections, the country is again in a familiar place, trapped between popular mandates and entrenched institutions.

-Asia Media Centre