Thailand is once again in a political crisis after the Constitutional Court removed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office. The court, made up of nine appointed judges, said she broke ethical rules during a private phone call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen. In the call, she spoke in a friendly way about the border dispute and criticized a Thai army commander. Hun Sen later leaked the call, saying Paetongtarn had insulted Cambodia by calling its online campaigns “unprofessional.”
This leak embarrassed Paetongtarn and her Pheu Thai party. It caused her main coalition partner to leave, leaving her with a weak government. In July, most judges had already voted to suspend her, so the final decision was expected. She has now become the fifth prime minister linked to her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, to be removed by the court. Many Thais believe the court always rules against leaders who threaten conservative, royalist forces.
The court has also dissolved many political parties, including two earlier versions of Pheu Thai and the reformist Move Forward Party, which won the last election in 2023. Politics in Thailand is therefore tightly controlled by the judiciary.
The leaked call also created a bigger problem. It worsened Thai-Cambodian tensions and even led to a short border war that killed more than 40 people. Now parliament must choose a new prime minister from a limited list of candidates. Pheu Thai’s last option, Chaikasem Nitisiri, is an elderly politician in poor health. Another option is Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, but his party left the coalition and relations with Pheu Thai are strained.
Meanwhile, the biggest group in parliament, the People’s Party (former Move Forward MPs), says it will stay in opposition until a new election. But Pheu Thai does not want an election now because its popularity has dropped. Its key campaign promise of giving every adult 10,000 baht through a digital wallet has failed, and other big projects have not started.
For years, Thaksin’s family dominated Thai politics, but today support for them is shrinking. Many now wonder if Pheu Thai will ever return to its old strength.
-Peace News Desk