In a dramatic turn for Thai politics, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was dismissed from office on August 29, 2025, following a Constitutional Court ruling that found she had violated ethical standards during a controversial phone call with Cambodia’s former Prime Minister Hun Sen. The decision, made by a 6-3 vote among the court’s judges, brings to a close a turbulent one-year tenure for Thailand’s youngest-ever prime minister and marks yet another chapter in the Shinawatra family’s fraught relationship with the country’s political establishment.
The saga began in early July, when Paetongtarn was suspended from her duties after a leaked audio recording surfaced. In the 17-minute call, she referred to a Thai army general as an “opponent” and addressed Hun Sen as “Uncle,” raising eyebrows about her allegiances and intentions amid escalating border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia. According to China Daily, the conversation was intended as a private attempt to ease bilateral tensions after a brief but intense exchange of gunfire along the disputed border in June. However, the language she used sparked a fierce backlash at home, with 36 senators quickly petitioning the Constitutional Court to suspend her, citing concerns over Thai sovereignty and respect for the military.
The court’s decision was damning. Not only did it strip Paetongtarn of her premiership, but it also dismissed her cabinet—though the remaining ministers will continue in a caretaker capacity until a new prime minister is selected by the House of Representatives, a process that could begin as soon as next week. As Reuters reported, the court found that Paetongtarn had put private interests ahead of national interests, damaging the country’s reputation and causing the public to lose confidence in the government. The Supreme Court further stated that she “prioritized her personal interests over national interests during the call.”
Paetongtarn, 39, is the youngest daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the third member of her family to be removed from Thailand’s highest office. Her father, Thaksin, and her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, were both ousted by military coups in 2006 and 2014, respectively. As The Indian Express noted, Paetongtarn is now the fifth Thai prime minister—and the third from the Shinawatra clan—to be removed by the Constitutional Court since 2008, underscoring the enduring tension between the Shinawatras’ populist appeal and the country’s conservative establishment.
Paetongtarn’s rise to power was as rapid as her fall. After joining the Pheu Thai party in 2021 and quickly becoming a key player, she was elected prime minister in August 2024, following the expulsion of her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, by the same court. Campaigning on promises of economic revival and big-ticket reforms, her administration initially enjoyed considerable public support—31.35% of respondents in a nationwide poll backed her as the leading prime ministerial choice in September 2024, according to the National Institute of Development Administration. But by June 2025, her popularity had plummeted to just 9.2%, as reported by Reuters. Her government struggled to deliver on its promises, including a much-touted handout program that ultimately stalled.
The leaked call with Hun Sen proved to be the final straw. In the conversation, Paetongtarn appeared to criticize a popular Thai general and seemed, in the court’s words, “subservient” to the veteran Cambodian politician. Public protests erupted, and the ruling coalition lost support from a major ally, the Bhumjaithai Party, reducing its majority to a precarious seven seats. The situation further deteriorated when a tense troop buildup along the border escalated into a five-day conflict in late July, involving fighter jets and artillery—the worst fighting between the two countries in over a decade.
Paetongtarn did not shy away from the controversy. On July 1, as she walked out of her Bangkok office after being suspended, she told reporters, “I didn’t want anything for myself. I was only thinking about how to avoid fighting and avoid bloodshed.” She insisted that her intention was to de-escalate the territorial dispute, not to undermine Thai interests. The court, for its part, acknowledged that she was not “dishonest” but maintained that her actions constituted a serious breach of ethical standards.
With Paetongtarn’s departure, Thailand now faces yet another period of political uncertainty. Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai will continue as acting prime minister, overseeing the government in a caretaker role until a new leader is chosen. The process for selecting a new prime minister is complex: candidates must be endorsed by at least 50 lawmakers and then secure a majority of 247 out of 492 votes in the lower house. If no candidate achieves this, the process can be repeated indefinitely, as outlined by The Indian Express.
The list of prospective candidates is both long and politically diverse. From the ruling Pheu Thai party, Chaikasem Nitisiri, a 77-year-old former justice minister, is considered a frontrunner. Other contenders include Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party; Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, the current energy minister; Jurin Laksanawisit, former deputy prime minister; and Prayut Chan-o-cha, a retired army general and former prime minister who now serves as a royal adviser. The Bhumjaithai Party has already announced that it has enough support to try to form a new government under Anutin’s leadership.
The coming days are likely to be contentious, as parties maneuver for advantage and attempt to cobble together a viable coalition. “Appointing a new prime minister… will be difficult and may take considerable time,” said Stithorn Thananithichot, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, in comments to China Daily. “It’s not easy for all parties to align their interests. Pheu Thai will be at a disadvantage.”
For now, the Thai parliament remains intact—there is no immediate need for dissolution—and the country’s caretaker government will attempt to maintain stability during the transition. But with the Shinawatra family’s legacy once again at the center of political drama, and the country’s fragile coalition under strain, Thailand’s path forward is anything but certain.
The abrupt end to Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s premiership is a reminder of both the volatility of Thai politics and the enduring influence of the Shinawatra dynasty. As the nation prepares for yet another leadership contest, all eyes are on Bangkok to see who will emerge to guide Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy out of its latest crisis.