Thai PM sacked over Cambodia phone call row: What led to Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s removal | Explained

Thailand's suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra waves as she arrives at Government House in Bangkok on August 29, 2025.

Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Friday dismissed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and her cabinet, ruling that she failed to uphold the ethical standards required of the country’s leader. The decision has thrown the kingdom into fresh political uncertainty.

Paetongtarn, daughter of billionaire former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, was suspended on July 1 after being accused of mishandling a call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen in June. A recording of the call, later leaked online, triggered a political firestorm in Bangkok.

The nine-judge panel said Paetongtarn’s conduct had eroded trust in her leadership and put personal interests above the national interest.

"Her actions have led to a loss of trust, prioritising personal interest over national interest, which fuelled public suspicion that she was siding with Cambodia and diminished confidence in her as PM among Thai citizens," the ruling read out by one of the judges said.

"The defendant has not upheld the ethical code of conduct. Her tenure as prime minister effectively ended with the suspension on July 1."

The court also dissolved her entire cabinet. The verdict comes just a year after Paetongtarn’s predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, was also removed from office by the Constitutional Court in a separate ethics case.

The phone call that sparked the case

The controversy centered on Paetongtarn’s private phone call with Hun Sen, Cambodia’s longtime leader and father of the current prime minister. In the conversation, she addressed Hun Sen as "uncle" and referred to a senior Thai military commander as her "opponent."

The language infuriated conservatives and the military, which remains highly influential in Thai politics. Critics accused her of siding with Cambodia and undermining Thailand’s armed forces. Her main coalition partner withdrew from the government soon after, almost bringing down her administration.

Senators then petitioned the Constitutional Court, arguing she had violated constitutional provisions that require ministers to demonstrate "evident integrity" and uphold "ethical standards."

Paetongtarn and her Pheu Thai party defended her actions, insisting she acted in Thailand’s best interests.

Political deadlock ahead

Her removal leaves Thailand without a clear candidate to step in as prime minister. Under the constitution, only individuals nominated in the 2023 election are eligible. But most of the nine names put forward then are now ruled out, politically weak, or face their own legal troubles.

Analysts say this could lead to a prolonged period of instability. It is also unclear whether the current acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has the authority to call a fresh election or whether that power rests only with a parliament-approved prime minister.

A long-running struggle

The case is the latest chapter in Thailand’s two-decade-long power struggle between the conservative, pro-military, pro-royalist establishment and the Shinawatra family, which it sees as a threat to the traditional order.

Paetongtarn is the sixth prime minister linked to her father’s political movement to be removed by court rulings. Only Thaksin himself avoided removal. Others have been ousted for reasons ranging from vote-buying to appearing on a television cooking show.

The ruling also comes just days after Thaksin, now 76, was cleared of royal insult charges that could have carried a 15-year jail term.

The fallout from Paetongtarn’s leaked call has been felt beyond Thailand’s borders. Relations with Cambodia have sharply deteriorated, and in July deadly clashes broke out along the frontier, leaving more than 40 people dead and forcing 300,000 to flee their homes.