Blow for Thailand's government as court suspends PM Paetongtarn from duty
Paetongtarn Shinawatra speaks after Thailand's Constitutional Court suspended her from duty pending a case seeking her dismissal, at the Government House in Bangkok, Thailand on Jul 1, 2025. (Photo:Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha)
BANGKOK: Thailand's Constitutional Court on Tuesday (Jul 1) suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from duty pending a case seeking her dismissal, in a major setback for a government under fire on multiple fronts and fighting for its survival.
The court accepted a petition from 36 senators accusing Paetongtarn of dishonesty and breaching ethical standards, based on a leak of a politically sensitive telephone conversation with Cambodia's influential former leader Hun Sen that was intended to de-escalate a territorial row and tense troop buildup at their border.
"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.
"It's always been my intention to do the best thing for my country," she said. "I'd like to apologise to Thai people who are frustrated about this."
She told reporters: "I will continue to work for the country as a Thai citizen.
"My true intention in the leaked conversation, my true intention 100 per cent, was to work for the country to maintain our sovereignty and save the lives of all our soldiers," Paetongtarn said.
During a Jun 15 call intended to defuse escalating border tensions with Cambodia, Paetongtarn, 38, called Hun Sen "uncle" 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.
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.
Paetongtarn's battles after only 10 months in office underline an intractable power struggle between the billionaire Shinawatra dynasty and an influential establishment backed by the army - a two-decade grudge match that has seen two military coups and court rulings that have toppled multiple parties and prime ministers.
FAMILY CRISIS
Paetongtarn's battles demonstrate 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 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.
