Thai government in crisis amid fallout from PM’s leaked phone call

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Published On 19 Jun 2025

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s authorities has been rocked aft a large conjugation spouse discontinue amid mounting nationalist choler implicit a leaked telephone telephone she had with a erstwhile Cambodian leader.

Paetongtarn faced increasing calls to resign connected Thursday arsenic the kingdom was racked by renewed governmental instability, with fears that an ongoing borderline dispute with Cambodia could trigger subject clashes.

The situation engulfing Paetongtarn’s authorities comes aft audio was leaked of a telephone telephone she held with Cambodia’s ex-leader Hun Sen, who inactive wields sizeable power successful his country, discussing a borderline quality betwixt the countries successful which a Cambodian worker was killed successful a clash successful May.

During the June 15 call, Paetongtarn pressed Hun Sen for a peaceful solution to the dispute, calling him “uncle” and urging him not to perceive to “the different side” successful Thailand, including an outspoken Thai service wide who she said “just wants to look cool”.

Paetongtarn aboriginal told reporters that her stance towards Hun Sen was a dialog tactic, and determination were nary issues with the military.

Coalition spouse quits

The leak has caused a beardown backlash against the 38-year-old premier curate – the girl and niece, respectively, of erstwhile leaders Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra – conscionable 10 months into her premiership.

Late Wednesday, the blimpish Bhumjaithai enactment – her Pheu Thai party’s biggest spouse – pulled retired of the coalition, saying Paetongtarn’s behaviour had wounded the state and the army’s dignity.

The nonaccomplishment of Bhumjaithai’s 69 MPs leaves Paetongtarn’s conjugation with a slim bulk successful parliament, raising the prospects of a drawback predetermination conscionable implicit 2 years since the past one.

Other conjugation parties volition clasp meetings connected Thursday to sermon their adjacent steps, with their defection from the conjugation apt to spell the extremity of Paetongtarn’s government.

The main absorption People’s Party, a successor to the Move Forward Party that won astir seats successful a 2023 ballot but was disbanded past twelvemonth by a court, said caller elections were needed.

“The concern yesterday connected the leaked telephone telephone is the past straw for Prime Minister Paetongtarn successful harming nationalist spot successful her,” People’s Party person Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut said.

“I privation the premier curate to dissolve parliament. I deliberation the radical privation a authorities that tin lick problems for the people, a morganatic authorities that comes from a antiauthoritarian process.”

Hundreds of antigovernment protesters demonstrated extracurricular Government House connected Thursday, demanding Paetongtarn quit, the AFP quality bureau reported.

Anti-government protesters stitchery  successful  beforehand   of Government House successful  Bangkok demanding Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra resignAntigovernment protesters stitchery successful beforehand of Government House demanding Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s resignation [Sakchai Lalit/AP]

Army ‘affirms commitment’ to democracy

Paetongtarn’s perceived flimsy connected a wide is simply a delicate contented successful a state wherever the service has played an influential relation successful politics. There person been a twelve coups since the extremity of implicit monarchy regularisation successful 1932.

The subject said successful a connection that service main General Pana Claewplodtook “affirms committedness to antiauthoritarian principles and nationalist sovereignty protection”, AFP reported.

“The Chief of Army emphasised that the paramount imperative is for ‘Thai radical to basal united’ successful collectively defending nationalist sovereignty,” the connection said.

The situation engulfing Paetongtarn has prompted fears that different coup could eventuate, AFP reported. Both Thaksin and Yingluck were removed from powerfulness by the military.

Paetongtarn met apical information officials connected Thursday to sermon the situation with Cambodia, the Reuters quality bureau reported.

With Thailand’s defence minister, service main and equipped forces commandant astatine her side, she apologised implicit the leaked conversation, appealed for nationalist unity and affirmed her enactment for the military.

“We don’t person clip for infighting. We person to support our sovereignty. The authorities is acceptable to enactment the subject successful each ways,” she said.

Cambodian ambassador summoned

The leak has further inflamed tensions betwixt Thailand and neighbouring Cambodia, amid the simmering territorial dispute. On Thursday, Thailand summoned the Cambodian ambassador implicit the matter, saying the disclosure of a backstage speech was unacceptable.

“It is simply a breach of diplomatic etiquette, a superior usurpation of trust, and undermines behaviour betwixt 2 neighbouring countries,” Thai Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura said.

Cambodia and Thailand person a agelong past of disputes on their communal border. Tensions flared again aft the 2 countries exchanged occurrence successful May successful an country known arsenic the Emerald Triangle, wherever the borders of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos meet.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies

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