Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was dismissed Friday by the country's Constitutional Court over her handling of a border clash with neighbouring Cambodia. The court said Paetongtarn had violated ethics in what her critics viewed as an overly friendly phone call with Cambodia's former prime minister Hun Sen that was leaked to the press.
Issued on: 29/08/2025
By: FRANCE 24
Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra waves as she arrives at Government House in Bangkok prior to the court's ruling on August 29, 2025. © Lillian Suwanrumpha, AFP
Thailand's Constitutional Court dismissed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office on Friday for an ethics violation after only a year in power, in another crushing blow to the Shinawatra political dynasty that could usher in a new period of turmoil.
Paetongtarn, who was Thailand's youngest prime minister, becomes the sixth premier from or backed by the billionaire Shinawatra family to be removed by the military or judiciary in a tumultuous two-decade battle for power between the country's warring elites.
In its verdict, the court said Paetongtarn violated ethics in a leaked June telephone call, during which she appeared to kowtow to Cambodia's former leader Hun Sen when both countries were at the brink of an armed border conflict. Fighting erupted weeks later and lasted five days.
Paetongtarn addressed Hun Sen as "uncle" and referred to a Thai military commander as her "opponent", sparking a furious reaction in Thailand, where the armed forces hold huge sway.
Conservative lawmakers accused her of bending the knee to Cambodia and undermining the military, while Paetongtarn's main coalition partner walked out in protest, nearly collapsing her government.
Thailand's Constitutional Court dismissed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office on Friday for an ethics violation after only a year in power, in another crushing blow to the Shinawatra political dynasty that could usher in a new period of turmoil.
Paetongtarn, who was Thailand's youngest prime minister, becomes the sixth premier from or backed by the billionaire Shinawatra family to be removed by the military or judiciary in a tumultuous two-decade battle for power between the country's warring elites.
In its verdict, the court said Paetongtarn violated ethics in a leaked June telephone call, during which she appeared to kowtow to Cambodia's former leader Hun Sen when both countries were at the brink of an armed border conflict. Fighting erupted weeks later and lasted five days.
Paetongtarn addressed Hun Sen as "uncle" and referred to a Thai military commander as her "opponent", sparking a furious reaction in Thailand, where the armed forces hold huge sway.
Conservative lawmakers accused her of bending the knee to Cambodia and undermining the military, while Paetongtarn's main coalition partner walked out in protest, nearly collapsing her government.
Thailand and Cambodia ceasefire holds as wary displaced villagers return home
© France 24
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The ruling means she immediately loses her job, which she had held for about a year. Paetongtarn was suspended from her duties on July 1 when the court agreed to hear the case against her, and Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai took over her responsibilities.
The cabinet led by Phumtham is expected to stay in place on a caretaker basis until parliament approves a new prime minister. The caretaker cabinet could also dissolve parliament and call a new election.
The decision paves the way for the election by parliament of a new prime minister, a process that could be drawn out, with Paetongtarn's ruling Pheu Thai party losing bargaining power and facing a challenge to shore-up a fragile alliance with a razor-thin majority.
The ruling brings a premature end to the premiership of the daughter and protégé of influential tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra.
The cabinet led by Phumtham is expected to stay in place on a caretaker basis until parliament approves a new prime minister. The caretaker cabinet could also dissolve parliament and call a new election.
The decision paves the way for the election by parliament of a new prime minister, a process that could be drawn out, with Paetongtarn's ruling Pheu Thai party losing bargaining power and facing a challenge to shore-up a fragile alliance with a razor-thin majority.
The ruling brings a premature end to the premiership of the daughter and protégé of influential tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra.
'Thailand is an autocracy: The system is loaded against progressive parties'
© France 24
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Paetongtarn, 39, was a political neophyte when she was thrust abruptly into the spotlight after the surprise dismissal of predecessor Srettha Thavisin by the same court a year ago.
Paetongtarn has apologised over the leaked call and said she was trying to avert a war.
She is the fifth premier in 17 years to be removed by the Constitutional Court, underlining its central role in an intractable power struggle between the elected governments of the Shinawatra clan and a nexus of powerful conservatives and royalist generals with far-reaching influence.
Uncertainty ahead
The focus will next shift to who will replace Paetongtarn, with Thaksin expected to be at the heart of a flurry of horse-trading between parties and other power-brokers to try to keep Pheu Thai in charge of the coalition.
There are five people eligible to become prime minister, with only one from Pheu Thai, 77-year-old Chaikasem Nitisiri, a former attorney general with limited cabinet experience, who has maintained a low profile in politics.
Others include former premier Prayuth Chan-ocha, who has retired from politics and led a military coup against the last Pheu Thai government in 2014, and Anutin Charnvirakul, a deputy premier before he withdrew his party from Paetongtarn's coalition over the leaked phone call.
The ruling thrusts Thailand into more political uncertainty at a time of simmering public unease over stalled reforms and a stuttering economy expected by the central bank to grow just 2.3 percent this year.
Any Pheu Thai administration would be a coalition likely to have only a slender majority and could face frequent parliamentary challenges from an opposition with huge public support that is pushing for an early election.
"Appointing a new prime minister ... will be difficult and may take considerable time," said Stithorn Thananithichot, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University.
"It's not easy for all parties to align their interests," he said. "Pheu Thai will be at a disadvantage."
Paetongtarn Shinawatra: glamorous Thai PM felled by Cambodia row
Bangkok (AFP) – Paetongtarn Shinawatra, scion of Thailand's most enduring and controversial political dynasty, was touted as the youthful, glamorous future of the movement, capable of winning over a new generation of voters.
Issued on: 29/08/2025 -
Thailand's sacked prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is the third from the Shinawatra clan to be premier © Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP
Now, barely a year after becoming prime minister, she finds herself in a position all too familiar to the Shinawatra family -- kicked out of office early by court order.
The 39-year-old accepted King Maha Vajiralongkorn's command to form a government last August, just two years after she entered politics in the shadow of the clan patriarch and ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Paetongtarn, Thailand's youngest premier and the third Shinawatra to hold the role, was seen by her Pheu Thai party as someone capable of rejuvenating their ailing image.
But she was suspended by the Constitutional Court in July as it opened a probe into her conduct in a leaked phone call in which she discussed a border spat with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen.
Paetongtarn addressed Hun Sen as "uncle" during the call and denigrated a Thai military commander as tensions rose between the two countries.
It sparked a furious reaction, particularly from conservatives who accused her of kowtowing to Cambodia and undermining the military.
Her critics said it showed her naivety and inexperience in dealing with Hun Sen, one of the region's wiliest political operators.
Throwing her out of office, the Constitutional Court said her actions "led to a loss of trust, prioritising personal interest over national interest".
Now, barely a year after becoming prime minister, she finds herself in a position all too familiar to the Shinawatra family -- kicked out of office early by court order.
The 39-year-old accepted King Maha Vajiralongkorn's command to form a government last August, just two years after she entered politics in the shadow of the clan patriarch and ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Paetongtarn, Thailand's youngest premier and the third Shinawatra to hold the role, was seen by her Pheu Thai party as someone capable of rejuvenating their ailing image.
But she was suspended by the Constitutional Court in July as it opened a probe into her conduct in a leaked phone call in which she discussed a border spat with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen.
Paetongtarn addressed Hun Sen as "uncle" during the call and denigrated a Thai military commander as tensions rose between the two countries.
It sparked a furious reaction, particularly from conservatives who accused her of kowtowing to Cambodia and undermining the military.
Her critics said it showed her naivety and inexperience in dealing with Hun Sen, one of the region's wiliest political operators.
Throwing her out of office, the Constitutional Court said her actions "led to a loss of trust, prioritising personal interest over national interest".
Rejuvenated image
Paetongtarn helped run the hotel arm of the ultra-rich Shinawatra family's business empire before entering politics in 2022.
She was a near-constant presence on the campaign trail for the 2023 election despite being pregnant, regularly leading rallies in the stifling tropical heat.
She gave birth to a son just two weeks before polling day, hailing the baby as her "secret power" and swiftly getting back to canvassing.
But the vote proved a disappointment as Pheu Thai finished second, a rare reversal for a political movement that had dominated the ballot box for two decades.
It was the first time a Shinawatra party was beaten in a national vote, but they eventually took power in an alliance with pro-military parties formerly opposed to the dynasty.
Paetongtarn did not initially lead the new government but took over after former businessman Srettha Thavisin was kicked out by a court order after an ethics probe last year.
Her father's daughter
Born in Bangkok on August 21, 1986, Paetongtarn is the third and youngest child of Thaksin Shinawatra, a police officer turned telecoms tycoon who revolutionised Thai politics in the early 2000s and won two elections before being ousted in a 2006 coup.
Known in Thailand by her nickname Ung Ing, she grew up in the Thai capital and studied hotel management in Britain.
She married commercial pilot Pidok Sooksawas in 2019, celebrating with two glitzy receptions -- one in Bangkok and one in Hong Kong that was attended by her father, then in self-exile.
The couple have two children who feature regularly in playful photos Paetongtarn posts on her social media accounts, where she has more than a million followers.
Paetongtarn's youth and energy stood out in a Thai political scene long dominated by strait-laced elderly men, her taste for vibrant designer clothes marking a contrast to the staid suits and uniforms of her rivals.
Thailand's pro-royalist, pro-military conservative elite has long disliked Thaksin and suspected him of effectively running Pheu Thai from afar, even while in exile.
His sister Yingluck's arrival in power in 2011 -- before her premiership was scuttled in 2014 by a court ruling, as well as Paetongtarn's elevation to high office later, did little to dampen those suspicions.
It also didn't help that Paetongtarn had described herself in the past as Thaksin's "little girl" and said she drew strength from his support and guidance.
© 2025 AFP
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