Thailand’s Constitutional Court has dismissed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra after ruling she violated ethical standards during a leaked phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen.
In the June call, released publicly by Hun Sen, Paetongtarn referred to him as “uncle” and criticized the Thai army amid escalating border tensions with Cambodia. The court said her actions created doubt about whether she prioritized Cambodia’s interests over Thailand’s.
The ruling passed by a 6–3 majority makes Paetongtarn, 39, the fifth Thai premier removed by court order since 2008, and the third member of the powerful Shinawatra family to see their premiership cut short. Her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, was ousted in a 2006 coup, and her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, was removed by the court in 2014.
Paetongtarn defended her actions as an effort to “save lives” during border clashes, which later escalated into a five-day conflict leaving dozens dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.
Hours after her dismissal, the Bhumjaithai Party, a former coalition partner, announced it had secured enough support to form a new government under leader Anutin Charnvirakul, pledging to resolve the border dispute and dissolve parliament within four months.
The decision raises questions about the future influence of the Shinawatra dynasty in Thai politics and signals another abrupt shift in the country’s leadership.