Thai court suspends PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra over leaked phone call

BANGKOK: Thailand's Constitutional Court on Tuesday (Jul 1) suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from duty pending a case seeking her dismissal, adding to mounting pressure on a government under fire on multiple fronts.

The court took on the petition from 36 senators that accuses Paetongtarn of dishonesty and breaching ethical standards in violation of the constitution over the leak of a politically sensitive telephone conversation with Cambodia's influential former leader Hun Sen.

"The court has considered the petition ... and unanimously accepts the case for consideration," it said in a statement.

Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit will take over in a caretaker capacity while the court decides the case against Paetongtarn, who has 15 days to respond and will remain in the cabinet as the new culture minister following a reshuffle.

"Government work doesn't stop, there is no problem," Tourism Minister and Pheu Thai Party Secretary-General Sorawong Thienthong told Reuters. "Suriya will become caretaker prime minister."

Paetongtarn said on Tuesday that she accepts the court's decision to suspend her.

"I want to apologise to people who are upset by all of this," she told reporters, "I will continue to work for the country as a Thai citizen.

“I only thought about what to do to avoid troubles, what to do to avoid armed confrontation, for the soldiers not to suffer any loss. I wouldn't be able to accept it if I said something with the other leader that could lead to negative consequences,” she said.

She also thanked her supporters and apologised to people who got upset over the leaked call.

The leaked call with the veteran Cambodian politician triggered domestic outrage and has left Paetongtarn's coalition with a razor-thin majority, with a key party abandoning the alliance and expected to soon seek a no-confidence vote in parliament, as protest groups demand the premier resigns.

During a Jun 15 call intended to defuse escalating border tensions with Cambodia, Paetongtarn, 38, kowtowed before Hun Sen and criticised a Thai army commander, a red line in a country where the military has significant clout. She has apologised and said her remarks were a negotiating tactic.

FAMILY CRISIS

Paetongtarn's battles after only 10 months in power underline the declining strength of the Pheu Thai Party, the populist juggernaut of the billionaire Shinawatra dynasty that has dominated Thai elections since 2001, enduring military coups and court rulings that have toppled multiple governments and prime ministers.

It has been a baptism of fire for political novice Paetongtarn, who thrust into power as Thailand's youngest premier and replacement for Srettha Thavisin, who was dismissed by the Constitutional Court for violating ethics by appointing a minister who was once jailed.

Paetongtarn's government has also been struggling to revive a stuttering economy and her popularity has declined sharply, with a Jun 19-25 opinion poll released at the weekend showing her approval rating sinking to 9.2 per cent from 30.9 per cent in March. Paetongtarn is not alone in her troubles, with influential father Thaksin Shinawatra, the driving force behind her government, facing legal hurdles of his own in two different courts this month.

Divisive tycoon Thaksin, according to his lawyer, appeared at his first hearing at Bangkok's Criminal Court on Tuesday on charges he insulted Thailand's powerful monarchy, a serious offence punishable by up to 15 years in prison if found guilty.

Thaksin denies the allegations and has repeatedly pledged allegiance to the crown. The case stems from a 2015 media interview Thaksin gave while in self-imposed exile, from which he returned in 2023 after 15 years abroad to serve a prison sentence for conflicts of interest and abuse of power.

Thaksin, 75, dodged jail and spent six months in hospital detention on medical grounds before being released on parole in February last year. The Supreme Court will this month scrutinise that hospital stay and could potentially send him back to jail.