BANGKOK, Aug 29, 2025 (Agencies): Thailand’s Constitutional Court has dismissed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office after ruling she violated ethical standards in a leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen, throwing the country into fresh political uncertainty and dealing a significant blow to its most powerful political dynasty.
In a six-to-three decision announced Friday, the court said Paetongtarn’s remarks in the June call — where she addressed Hun Sen as “uncle” and criticised the Thai army amid escalating border tensions — had “caused the public to cast doubt” on whether her actions served Cambodia’s interests over Thailand’s. The recording, leaked by Hun Sen himself, sparked fierce criticism at home and raised accusations of undermining the military.
Paetongtarn, 39, acknowledged the ruling but defended her actions, saying she had sought to prevent violence during worsening clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border. Weeks after the call, fighting erupted, killing dozens and displacing hundreds of thousands.
The court’s verdict makes Paetongtarn the fifth Thai prime minister removed by the judiciary since 2008, and the third member of the Shinawatra family to see their premiership cut short. Her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, was ousted in a 2006 coup, while her aunt, Yingluck, was dismissed by the same court in 2014.
Hours after her dismissal, the conservative Bhumjaithai Party — a former coalition partner — declared it had secured enough parliamentary backing to form a new government under its leader, Anutin Charnvirakul. The party pledged to prioritise resolving the border dispute with Cambodia and to dissolve parliament within four months.
Paetongtarn’s removal marks another turning point for the Shinawatra dynasty, which has dominated Thai politics for two decades despite repeated coups and court interventions. Analysts say the verdict casts fresh doubt on whether the family’s enduring influence can survive this latest setback.