Bangkok: Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office amid an ethics investigation sparked by a leaked phone call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen. The judges voted unanimously to accept the petition against her and 7-2 in favour of suspending her while the case is reviewed.

Paetongtarn has been given 15 days to submit evidence in her defence. She stated she would comply with the process and reiterated that her intentions during the call were solely to prevent conflict and preserve peace in the face of a tense border standoff with Cambodia.

The controversy stems from a 28 May armed confrontation along the Thai-Cambodian border, which resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier. The leaked call with Hun Sen during diplomatic efforts sparked a wave of backlash, with thousands of conservative and nationalist-leaning protesters taking to the streets of Bangkok demanding her resignation.

Amid rising tensions, a key coalition party withdrew from government over the issue, prompting a cabinet reshuffle earlier on Tuesday. The reshuffle saw Paetongtarn take on the culture minister’s role in addition to prime minister, although her eligibility to continue in the new role remains uncertain following the suspension.

Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungruangkit is expected to serve as acting prime minister, though this has not yet been officially confirmed.

The case against Paetongtarn is one of several ongoing probes. The Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission is also investigating her for an alleged breach of ethics—an outcome that could potentially lead to permanent disqualification from office. Thailand’s courts, particularly the Constitutional Court, are widely viewed as instruments of the royalist establishment, having previously ousted multiple Shinawatra-linked leaders.

The complaint against Paetongtarn was filed by senators elected last year to replace the junta-appointed Senate. Some of these senators are under investigation for alleged vote rigging in the 2024 upper house elections, a scandal that has implicated two ministers in Paetongtarn’s government as well. One of them, Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong, has already been partially suspended.

At 38, Paetongtarn is the third member of the Shinawatra family to serve as prime minister, following her father Thaksin and aunt Yingluck—both of whom were removed in coups. Her suspension raises the prospect of a repeat of her family’s political downfall.

Meanwhile, Thaksin Shinawatra appeared in court on Tuesday in a separate case concerning alleged royal defamation stemming from remarks made in South Korea in 2015. He is also under scrutiny over his controversial hospital stay after returning to Thailand in 2023 to serve a prison sentence. Though originally sentenced to eight years, he was quickly transferred to hospital and later granted royal clemency without spending a night in jail, prompting further public outrage and legal challenges.

As Thailand navigates another phase of political turbulence, the coming weeks will prove critical for Paetongtarn’s political future and the broader fate of the Shinawatra legacy.
(With AP inputs)