Thailand’s 38‑year‑old Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, has been temporarily suspended by the Constitutional Court following a leaked phone conversation on social media. In the call, she addressed former Cambodian leader Hun Sen as “uncle” and criticized a senior Thai military official.
The conversation sparked a major scandal, prompting MPs and citizens to demand her removal, arguing her remarks may undermine national interests. The court ruled 7–2 for a temporary suspension and ordered her to appear in court within 15 days to explain herself.
Paetongtarn, of the political Shinawatra family that has dominated Thai politics for over two decades, is Thailand’s second female prime minister and the youngest ever. Although suspended from her prime ministerial duties, she has been reassigned a cabinet role as Minister of Culture.
The phone call touched on a border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia that resulted in the killing of a Cambodian soldier in May. Critics argue she sought a backdoor peace deal; she defends her actions, saying she acted to prevent bloodshed and maintain stability.
Her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, is also facing legal troubles—charged in 2015 with insulting the Thai king—and is the one who brought his daughter into politics upon returning to Thailand in 2023.
