Blow for Thai government as court suspends PM from duty
The court accepted a petition from 36 senators accusing Paetongtarn of dishonesty and breaching ethical standards, based on a leak of a sensitive telephone call 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 leaked June 15 call triggered domestic fury and has left Paetongtarn's coalition with a razor-thin majority after a big party abandoned the alliance and accused her of undermining sovereignty, as protest groups threaten more demonstrations to demand a new government.
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.
She accepted the court's decision on Tuesday and apologised over the leaked call, during which she kowtowed before Hun Sen and criticised a Thai army commander, a red line in a country where the military has significant clout.
"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 told reporters on Tuesday.
It has been a baptism of fire for political novice Paetongtarn, who at 37 was thrust into the spotlight last year as Thailand's youngest premier after the Constitutional Court dismissed ally Srettha Thavisin for a violation of ethical standards.
Paetongtarn, the fourth member of her family to hold the top post, has been struggling to revive a stuttering economy and arrest a sharp decline in popularity, with an opinion poll released at the weekend showing her approval rating sinking to 9.2 per cent in June from 30.9 per cent in March.
Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit takes over as caretaker premier while the court decides the case against Paetongtarn, who has 15 days to respond and will stay in the cabinet as the new culture minister following a reshuffle.
Paetongtarn is not alone in her troubles, with influential tycoon father Thaksin Shinawatra, the driving force behind her government, facing legal hurdles of his own in two different courts in July.
Polarising 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 in July scrutinise that hospital stay and could potentially send him back to jail.
Thailand's Constitutional Court has 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 sensitive telephone call 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 leaked June 15 call triggered domestic fury and has left Paetongtarn's coalition with a razor-thin majority after a big party abandoned the alliance and accused her of undermining sovereignty, as protest groups threaten more demonstrations to demand a new government.
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.
She accepted the court's decision on Tuesday and apologised over the leaked call, during which she kowtowed before Hun Sen and criticised a Thai army commander, a red line in a country where the military has significant clout.
"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 told reporters on Tuesday.
It has been a baptism of fire for political novice Paetongtarn, who at 37 was thrust into the spotlight last year as Thailand's youngest premier after the Constitutional Court dismissed ally Srettha Thavisin for a violation of ethical standards.
Paetongtarn, the fourth member of her family to hold the top post, has been struggling to revive a stuttering economy and arrest a sharp decline in popularity, with an opinion poll released at the weekend showing her approval rating sinking to 9.2 per cent in June from 30.9 per cent in March.
Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit takes over as caretaker premier while the court decides the case against Paetongtarn, who has 15 days to respond and will stay in the cabinet as the new culture minister following a reshuffle.
Paetongtarn is not alone in her troubles, with influential tycoon father Thaksin Shinawatra, the driving force behind her government, facing legal hurdles of his own in two different courts in July.
Polarising 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 in July scrutinise that hospital stay and could potentially send him back to jail.
Thailand's Constitutional Court has 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 sensitive telephone call 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 leaked June 15 call triggered domestic fury and has left Paetongtarn's coalition with a razor-thin majority after a big party abandoned the alliance and accused her of undermining sovereignty, as protest groups threaten more demonstrations to demand a new government.
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.
She accepted the court's decision on Tuesday and apologised over the leaked call, during which she kowtowed before Hun Sen and criticised a Thai army commander, a red line in a country where the military has significant clout.
"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 told reporters on Tuesday.
It has been a baptism of fire for political novice Paetongtarn, who at 37 was thrust into the spotlight last year as Thailand's youngest premier after the Constitutional Court dismissed ally Srettha Thavisin for a violation of ethical standards.
Paetongtarn, the fourth member of her family to hold the top post, has been struggling to revive a stuttering economy and arrest a sharp decline in popularity, with an opinion poll released at the weekend showing her approval rating sinking to 9.2 per cent in June from 30.9 per cent in March.
Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit takes over as caretaker premier while the court decides the case against Paetongtarn, who has 15 days to respond and will stay in the cabinet as the new culture minister following a reshuffle.
Paetongtarn is not alone in her troubles, with influential tycoon father Thaksin Shinawatra, the driving force behind her government, facing legal hurdles of his own in two different courts in July.
Polarising 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 in July scrutinise that hospital stay and could potentially send him back to jail.
Thailand's Constitutional Court has 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 sensitive telephone call 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 leaked June 15 call triggered domestic fury and has left Paetongtarn's coalition with a razor-thin majority after a big party abandoned the alliance and accused her of undermining sovereignty, as protest groups threaten more demonstrations to demand a new government.
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.
She accepted the court's decision on Tuesday and apologised over the leaked call, during which she kowtowed before Hun Sen and criticised a Thai army commander, a red line in a country where the military has significant clout.
"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 told reporters on Tuesday.
It has been a baptism of fire for political novice Paetongtarn, who at 37 was thrust into the spotlight last year as Thailand's youngest premier after the Constitutional Court dismissed ally Srettha Thavisin for a violation of ethical standards.
Paetongtarn, the fourth member of her family to hold the top post, has been struggling to revive a stuttering economy and arrest a sharp decline in popularity, with an opinion poll released at the weekend showing her approval rating sinking to 9.2 per cent in June from 30.9 per cent in March.
Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit takes over as caretaker premier while the court decides the case against Paetongtarn, who has 15 days to respond and will stay in the cabinet as the new culture minister following a reshuffle.
Paetongtarn is not alone in her troubles, with influential tycoon father Thaksin Shinawatra, the driving force behind her government, facing legal hurdles of his own in two different courts in July.
Polarising 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 in July scrutinise that hospital stay and could potentially send him back to jail.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
13 hours ago
- News.com.au
Thai veteran politician set for single day as acting PM
Thailand's acting prime minister is set to helm the country for only one full day Wednesday, standing in for suspended premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra before being replaced himself in a cabinet reshuffle. Transport minister and deputy prime minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit began his engagements by attending a ceremony in Bangkok celebrating the longevity of the prime minister's office. The event marked the 93rd anniversary of an institution Suriya is set to command for far fewer than 93 hours as Thailand reels from the suspension of Paetongtarn, heiress of the country's dominant political dynasty. During a brief ceremony open to media Suriya declined to respond to queries asking how he felt about his ephemeral leadership, which caps a decades-long political career. He said his most urgent business had been to "sign a paper" ensuring a smooth transition to his successor on Thursday. The Constitutional Court said Tuesday there was "sufficient cause to suspect" Paetongtarn breached ministerial ethics in a diplomatic spat with Cambodia, suspending her pending a probe that may last months. - 'I don't know the guy' - The 38-year-old Paetongtarn is the daughter of political heavyweight Thaksin Shinawatra, whose family and party have been jousting with Thailand's conservative establishment since the early 2000s. Power immediately passed to 70-year-old Suriya, a veteran operator with a reputation in Thai media as a political weathervane for always aligning himself with the government of the day. "I don't really know the guy, but I don't care anymore who becomes prime minister," 54-year-old motorbike taxi driver Paitoon Kaewdee told AFP. "I've lost hope in Thai politics. I used to care a lot about politics and the Shinawatra family but now, it's all the same." Suriya's time as acting premier is due to end with a cabinet reshuffle already scheduled before Tuesday's court bombshell. It takes effect in an oath-swearing ceremony scheduled on Thursday, when he is set to be superseded by incoming interior minister Phumtham Wechayachai. The ruling Pheu Thai party said late Tuesday that Phumtham will take over after the cabinet reshuffle because he will receive a deputy prime minister title that is higher in the order of succession than Suriya. The "power vacuum at the top" may threaten Thailand's bid for a US trade deal to avert President Donald Trump's threat of a 36 percent tariff, said Capital Economics senior Asia economist Gareth Leather. "I want a new election," complained 40-year-old Bangkok office worker Chatchai Summabut. "This country needs stability." - Waning influence - Paetongtarn -- who became prime minister only last August -- assigned herself the culture minister position in the new cabinet before she was suspended, meaning she is set to keep a perch in the upper echelons of power. She, Suriya and Phumtham are all members of Pheu Thai, which came second in the 2023 election but secured power by forming an unsteady coalition with its former enemies in pro-military parties. But analysts say Paetongtarn's pause from office represents a dramatic waning of the Shinawatras' influence, even though the acting prime ministers are still considered their loyal lieutenants. Tuesday also saw the second day of Thaksin's criminal trial for royal defamation, in which he faces a possible 15-year sentence if convicted. Paetongtarn has been hobbled over a longstanding territorial dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, which boiled over into cross-border clashes in May, killing one Cambodian soldier. When she made a diplomatic call to Cambodian ex-leader Hun Sen she called him "uncle" and referred to a Thai military commander as her "opponent", according to a leaked recording causing widespread backlash. A conservative party abandoned her ruling coalition -- sparking the cabinet reshuffle -- while her approval rating plunged and thousands mustered to protest over the weekend. Conservative lawmakers accused her of kowtowing to Cambodia and undermining the military, entering a case with the Constitutional Court alleging she breached the constitution's ministerial ethics code.
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Blow for Thai government as court suspends PM from duty
Thailand's Constitutional Court has 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 sensitive telephone call 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 leaked June 15 call triggered domestic fury and has left Paetongtarn's coalition with a razor-thin majority after a big party abandoned the alliance and accused her of undermining sovereignty, as protest groups threaten more demonstrations to demand a new government. 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. She accepted the court's decision on Tuesday and apologised over the leaked call, during which she kowtowed before Hun Sen and criticised a Thai army commander, a red line in a country where the military has significant clout. "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 told reporters on Tuesday. It has been a baptism of fire for political novice Paetongtarn, who at 37 was thrust into the spotlight last year as Thailand's youngest premier after the Constitutional Court dismissed ally Srettha Thavisin for a violation of ethical standards. Paetongtarn, the fourth member of her family to hold the top post, has been struggling to revive a stuttering economy and arrest a sharp decline in popularity, with an opinion poll released at the weekend showing her approval rating sinking to 9.2 per cent in June from 30.9 per cent in March. Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit takes over as caretaker premier while the court decides the case against Paetongtarn, who has 15 days to respond and will stay in the cabinet as the new culture minister following a reshuffle. Paetongtarn is not alone in her troubles, with influential tycoon father Thaksin Shinawatra, the driving force behind her government, facing legal hurdles of his own in two different courts in July. Polarising 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 in July scrutinise that hospital stay and could potentially send him back to jail. Thailand's Constitutional Court has 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 sensitive telephone call 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 leaked June 15 call triggered domestic fury and has left Paetongtarn's coalition with a razor-thin majority after a big party abandoned the alliance and accused her of undermining sovereignty, as protest groups threaten more demonstrations to demand a new government. 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. She accepted the court's decision on Tuesday and apologised over the leaked call, during which she kowtowed before Hun Sen and criticised a Thai army commander, a red line in a country where the military has significant clout. "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 told reporters on Tuesday. It has been a baptism of fire for political novice Paetongtarn, who at 37 was thrust into the spotlight last year as Thailand's youngest premier after the Constitutional Court dismissed ally Srettha Thavisin for a violation of ethical standards. Paetongtarn, the fourth member of her family to hold the top post, has been struggling to revive a stuttering economy and arrest a sharp decline in popularity, with an opinion poll released at the weekend showing her approval rating sinking to 9.2 per cent in June from 30.9 per cent in March. Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit takes over as caretaker premier while the court decides the case against Paetongtarn, who has 15 days to respond and will stay in the cabinet as the new culture minister following a reshuffle. Paetongtarn is not alone in her troubles, with influential tycoon father Thaksin Shinawatra, the driving force behind her government, facing legal hurdles of his own in two different courts in July. Polarising 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 in July scrutinise that hospital stay and could potentially send him back to jail. Thailand's Constitutional Court has 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 sensitive telephone call 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 leaked June 15 call triggered domestic fury and has left Paetongtarn's coalition with a razor-thin majority after a big party abandoned the alliance and accused her of undermining sovereignty, as protest groups threaten more demonstrations to demand a new government. 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. She accepted the court's decision on Tuesday and apologised over the leaked call, during which she kowtowed before Hun Sen and criticised a Thai army commander, a red line in a country where the military has significant clout. "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 told reporters on Tuesday. It has been a baptism of fire for political novice Paetongtarn, who at 37 was thrust into the spotlight last year as Thailand's youngest premier after the Constitutional Court dismissed ally Srettha Thavisin for a violation of ethical standards. Paetongtarn, the fourth member of her family to hold the top post, has been struggling to revive a stuttering economy and arrest a sharp decline in popularity, with an opinion poll released at the weekend showing her approval rating sinking to 9.2 per cent in June from 30.9 per cent in March. Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit takes over as caretaker premier while the court decides the case against Paetongtarn, who has 15 days to respond and will stay in the cabinet as the new culture minister following a reshuffle. Paetongtarn is not alone in her troubles, with influential tycoon father Thaksin Shinawatra, the driving force behind her government, facing legal hurdles of his own in two different courts in July. Polarising 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 in July scrutinise that hospital stay and could potentially send him back to jail. Thailand's Constitutional Court has 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 sensitive telephone call 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 leaked June 15 call triggered domestic fury and has left Paetongtarn's coalition with a razor-thin majority after a big party abandoned the alliance and accused her of undermining sovereignty, as protest groups threaten more demonstrations to demand a new government. 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. She accepted the court's decision on Tuesday and apologised over the leaked call, during which she kowtowed before Hun Sen and criticised a Thai army commander, a red line in a country where the military has significant clout. "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 told reporters on Tuesday. It has been a baptism of fire for political novice Paetongtarn, who at 37 was thrust into the spotlight last year as Thailand's youngest premier after the Constitutional Court dismissed ally Srettha Thavisin for a violation of ethical standards. Paetongtarn, the fourth member of her family to hold the top post, has been struggling to revive a stuttering economy and arrest a sharp decline in popularity, with an opinion poll released at the weekend showing her approval rating sinking to 9.2 per cent in June from 30.9 per cent in March. Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit takes over as caretaker premier while the court decides the case against Paetongtarn, who has 15 days to respond and will stay in the cabinet as the new culture minister following a reshuffle. Paetongtarn is not alone in her troubles, with influential tycoon father Thaksin Shinawatra, the driving force behind her government, facing legal hurdles of his own in two different courts in July. Polarising 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 in July scrutinise that hospital stay and could potentially send him back to jail.
7NEWS
a day ago
- 7NEWS
Thai court suspends Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra over leaked phone call
Thailand's Constitutional Court has 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 said on Tuesday it had accepted a petition from 36 senators that accuses Paetongtarn of dishonesty and breaching ethnical standards in violation of the constitution over the leak of a politically sensitive telephone conversation with Cambodia's influential former leader Hun Sen. The government is expected to be led by a deputy prime minister in a caretaker capacity while the court decides the case against Paetongtarn, who will remain in the cabinet as the new culture minister following a reshuffle. The government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on her suspension. 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 June 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. 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 June 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 in July. 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 in July scrutinise that hospital stay and could potentially send him back to jail.
