In Thailand, a Buddhist kingdom shaken by an eternal political crisis, the mandate of the current prime minister has collapsed due to a flattering phone call to a tyrant highly hated by the Thais. After old border disputes with Cambodia reignited and a controversial conversation between Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest prime minister in Thailand's history (38 years old), and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen was leaked, thousands of people protested in Bangkok over the weekend demanding Paetongtarn's removal. This Tuesday, the Constitutional Court suspended her from office.
The judges explained that they have accepted a request from 36 senators accusing Paetongtarn of "dishonesty" and "ethical violations" after her call on June 15 with Hun Sen following the death of a Cambodian soldier in a new escalation of the border conflict.
In a call intended to calm tensions between the two Southeast Asian neighbors, the Thai prime minister referred to the former Cambodian leader as "uncle" and told him that the latest incident was the fault of a Thai military commander. When local media published some excerpts of the conversation, it immediately sparked public outrage, leading a key party in the current ruling coalition to break ties with Paetongtarn.
The leader apologized and stated that her words were a "negotiation technique". However, on Saturday, protesters blocked the streets of central Bangkok in the largest protest in the past two years. Some banners read, "The prime minister is an enemy of the state." Now, it is expected that Parliament will seek a vote of no confidence to definitively bring down the government.
Paetongtarn is the youngest of the three children of the most influential man in the country, former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in the 2006 military coup, and niece of businesswoman Yingluck Shinawatra, who was also prime minister until a court removed her from office in 2014 for abuse of power. Another family member briefly governed in 2008, Thaksin's brother-in-law, lawyer Somchai Wongsawat.
Last year, Thaksin (76 years old) was pardoned by the eccentric King Maha Vajiralongkorn, leaving behind a corruption conviction, although this Tuesday he appeared before a criminal court in Bangkok for a case related to insults against the Thai monarchy, a crime punishable by up to 15 years.
The patriarch, now removed from the political forefront but critics claim he still wields influence from the shadows, heads a business empire in which his daughter was involved as the largest shareholder of a real estate company and a luxury hotel chain. This year, Paetongtarn declared assets worth over 380 million euros, including a collection of 217 designer handbags and 75 luxury watches.
Paetongtarn rose to power after her predecessor and ally, Srettha Thavisin, was removed by the Constitutional Court. Highly controversial from the start, her latest political crisis began when she reignited the old border conflict after the death of a Cambodian soldier in a clash with Thai forces. A territorial dispute dating back over a century, when the border was first drawn during Cambodia's colonial period.
Last week, the Thai army closed all land border crossings with the neighboring country, led by Hun Manet, son of Hun Sen, who took over the country after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. Hun Sen clung to power for 38 years, holding fake elections and gradually eliminating the opposition, eventually passing the baton to his son in 2023.