Thai court sacks prime minister over compromising phone call with Cambodian leader

Thailand's Constitutional Court fired Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Friday after finding that she had broken ethical guidelines by speaking with a senior Cambodian official over the phone.

The decision ends the term of the nation’s youngest prime minister and delivers the latest blow to the powerful Shinawatra political dynasty that has dominated Thai politics for more than two decades. Her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was prime minister from 2001 to 2006, has in the past faced allegations of putting his personal interests over those of the nation.

In a 6-3 vote, the judges on Friday found that Paetongtarn’s conduct in a 15 June call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen compromised national interests.

The call, which became public just weeks before a deadly border conflict erupted between the two countries, sparked outrage in Thailand.

Paetongtarn was heard in the audio of the conversation on the tense border situation, calling Hun Sen his "uncle" and seeming to call a general in the Thai army an "opponent."

The 39-year-old defended herself, arguing that her familiar tone during the call was a negotiating tactic aimed at de-escalating tensions. Paetongtarn also apologised, insisting her conversation did not damage national security.

Petition alleged alignment with Cambodia

The complaint against Paetongtarn lodged by a group of senators alleged that “due to a personal relationship that appeared aligned with Cambodia, (she) was consistently willing to comply with or act in accordance with the wishes of the Cambodian side.”

It further charged that her reference to the Thai general “lacked demonstrable honesty and integrity and seriously violated or failed to comply with ethical standards.”

However, the court said in its ruling that Paetongtarn intended to uphold Thailand’s national interests and tried to prevent serious conflicts that could affect its sovereignty and border security.

It concluded that her actions did not clearly appear to be dishonest, although the majority opinion nevertheless found that her conversation constituted a breach of ethical standards.

After the court’s ruling Friday, Paetongtarn said she would accept it but insisted that she was innocent and had acted with the sole purpose of saving lives.

A leaked phone call

Audio of the call was leaked online by Hun Sen, who was Cambodia’s prime minister for 38 years until his son Hun Manet took over the job in 2023. The phone call came as long-standing border tensions escalated after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a brief fracas with Thai troops in disputed territory in May.

In late June, the two countries engaged in five days of combat that killed dozens of people and displaced more than 260,000.

The friendly tone of Paetongtarn’s call raised hackles among many Thais because of her family’s history.

Thaksin Shinawatra, a business owner who earned a vast fortune in the telecommunications sector and seemingly had a warm friendship with Hun Sen, faced allegations of putting his personal interests over Thailand when he was prime minister.

He was ousted from power by a military coup but managed to remain a dominant force in Thai politics, with his daughter becoming prime minister, until Friday's ruling dealt what is possibly a final blow.