Bangkok, June 29: Hundreds of protesters rallied in Bangkok on Saturday demanding the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, following the leak of a controversial phone call with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen that has intensified political turmoil in the country.
The demonstrators, many affiliated with the royalist “Yellow Shirt” movement, gathered near the Victory Monument in central Bangkok, waving Thai flags and holding banners critical of the Prime Minister. The protest comes amid mounting dissatisfaction over Paetongtarn’s handling of a border dispute with Cambodia and growing scrutiny over her private communication with the Cambodian Senate President.
The phone call, believed to have occurred following a deadly border clash on May 28 that left one Cambodian soldier dead, allegedly included remarks by Paetongtarn advising Hun Sen not to heed criticism from a Thai regional army commander. Critics say this undermined Thailand’s national security stance and emboldened a foreign government.
At a party anniversary event in Phnom Penh, Hun Sen accused Thai forces of “illegally” entering Cambodian territory and condemned what he described as a violation of sovereignty. “Cambodia has suffered in the past but today we are equal with other countries. We want peace and cooperation,” Hun Sen said to thousands of Cambodian People’s Party supporters.
Back in Thailand, the political fallout has fractured the Prime Minister’s coalition. The Pheu Thai Party lost its largest partner, the Bhumjaithai Party, which had been at odds with Pheu Thai over control of the powerful Interior Ministry and is itself under investigation for alleged irregularities in last year’s Senate elections.
Paetongtarn, daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is now facing twin investigations — one by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and another that may be initiated by the Constitutional Court. NACC officials confirmed they are probing whether her actions in the phone call constituted a serious breach of ethics. The Constitutional Court may decide as early as next week whether to take up the case, which could lead to her suspension.
Speaking earlier this week, Paetongtarn denied any wrongdoing. “It was clear from the phone call that I had nothing to gain from it, and I also didn’t cause any damage to the country,” she said.
Thailand’s judiciary has previously removed prime ministers from Pheu Thai and affiliated parties. Observers note the courts and independent commissions have often acted in alignment with the royalist establishment. The current 10-party coalition government now holds just 255 of the 500 seats in the lower house, narrowly above the majority threshold, but the Prime Minister’s political survival remains uncertain as protests grow and legal pressures mount.
