THAI Court Ousts Prime Minister Petongtarn in Border Dispute Row

Thailand was plunged into fresh political chaos on Friday after the Constitutional Court removed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and her cabinet, ruling against her over a controversial border dispute with Cambodia.

Paetongtarn, the daughter of billionaire and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, had already been suspended from duty in July following accusations that she failed to defend Thailand’s position during a leaked phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen in June.

In a six-to-three decision, the court declared that she had violated the ethical code expected of a prime minister. “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,” one judge read aloud. The ruling added: “The defendant has not upheld the ethical code of conduct. Her tenure as prime minister effectively ended with the suspension on July 1.”

The dismissal of Paetongtarn and her cabinet comes just a year after the same court removed her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, in another ethics case — deepening fears of instability.

At the centre of the case was her leaked conversation with Hun Sen, in which she addressed him as “uncle” and described a Thai military commander as her “opponent.” The remarks infuriated Thailand’s military establishment, while conservative lawmakers accused her of siding with Cambodia. The fallout triggered her main coalition partner to abandon her government, leaving it on the verge of collapse before senators petitioned the court to remove her.

Defending herself, the 39-year-old told reporters: “My intentions were for the benefit of the country not for personal gain, but for the lives of the people, including civilians and soldiers.”

Her removal leaves Thailand without a clear successor. Current acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai faces uncertainty over whether he has the constitutional authority to call new elections. Meanwhile, of the nine prime ministerial candidates nominated in last year’s general election, most are either ineligible, lack party backing, or face personal and legal obstacles.

The development highlights the long-running struggle between the pro-military, pro-royalist establishment and the Shinawatra family’s political movement. Paetongtarn becomes the sixth Shinawatra-aligned prime minister to be forced out by the Constitutional Court. Only Thaksin himself managed to survive a ruling. Others were toppled for reasons ranging from corruption to even appearing on a cooking show.

The crisis comes just a week after Thaksin, 76, was cleared of royal insult charges that could have landed him a 15-year prison sentence.

The controversy over Paetongtarn’s call with Hun Sen has not only shaken Thai politics but also strained relations with Cambodia. The leak, which Hun Sen released in full online, sparked Thailand’s fury and was followed in July by the deadliest border clashes in decades — leaving over 40 people dead and forcing some 300,000 people to flee their homes.