Where it all begins
It all started on May 28 where clashes erupted between Thai and Cambodian soldiers near the “Emerald Triangle” border area, resulting in the death of one Cambodian soldier.
Both countries pledged to ease tensions and seek dialogue through their joint border commission towards the end of May. Thai and Cambodian armies both agreed to withdraw troops from a disputed border area, the Thai army said in a statement. The agreement was reached after a meeting between Thai Army chief Phana Klaewplodthuk and the commander of the Royal Cambodian Army, Mao Sophan, at the Chong Chom border crossing, a border checkpoint in Thailand’s Northeastern province of Surin, said the statement.
According to Thai Army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree, commanders of the two armies also agreed to use the Joint Boundary Committee (JBC), a bilateral government-level framework, to expedite the resolution of border disputes. Meanwhile, a statement from the Royal Cambodian Army said the meeting between commanders of the two armies lasted 45 minutes at a border checkpoint. “The two sides will continue to resolve the situation through all existing mechanisms, such as the Joint Boundary Committee, the Cambodia-Thailand General Boundary Committee, and the Memorandum of Understanding in 2000 on the Measurement and Demarcation of the Cambodia-Thailand Land Border,” it said.
Yet towards the beginning of June, Thailand closed most border crossings with Cambodia due to the escalating tensions. A delayed Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meeting between Thailand and Cambodia was later scheduled. Cambodia stated it would refer border disputes in four areas to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for resolution.
In the midst of the battle of words, the second casualty of war seems to be the Thai side. Thai prime minister Paetongtarn was grossly outplayed by the old Hung Seng (ex-PM of Cambodia) and apparently had fallen into the net set by him. She was suspended from her post by Thailand Constitutional court on July 1. At worst, she could face dismissal pending an ethics probe over a leaked phone call she had with Cambodia’s powerful former leader.
The call exposé
In the leaked call, which took place on June 15, Paetongtarn could be heard calling former Cambodian strongman Hun Sen “uncle” and appeared to criticise her own army’s actions after border clashes led to the death of a Cambodian soldier late May.
The Thai prime minister could be heard telling Hun Sen that she was under domestic pressure and urged him not to listen to the “opposite side,” in which she referred to an outspoken Thai army commander in Thailand’s northeast. She also added that if Hun Sen “wants anything, he can just tell me, and I will take care of it.”
Her comments in the leaked audio highlighted a tone of betrayal and treason in Thailand, and opponents accused her of compromising the country’s national interests. Following the ruling, Paetongtarn said she accepts the court’s decision and that her intention “was truly to act for the good of the country.
I want to make it clear that my intentions were more than 100% sincere — I acted for the country, to protect our sovereignty, to safeguard the lives of our soldiers, and to preserve peace in our nation,” she said in a press conference after the court ruling. “I also want to apologise to all my fellow Thais who may feel uneasy or upset about this matter,” she added. But it was already too little too late.
Futile Excuses
Thailand and Cambodia have had a complicated relationship of both cooperation and rivalry in recent decades. The two countries share a 508 mile (800+ km) land border – largely mapped by the French while they occupied Cambodia – that has periodically seen military clashes and been the source of political tensions.
In the wake of the scandal, Paetongtarn tried to downplay her remarks to Hun Sen, saying at a press conference she was trying to diffuse tensions between the two neighbours and the “private” call “shouldn’t have been made public.” The prime minister said she was using a “negotiation tactic” and her comments were “not a statement of allegiance.”
Paetongtarn became prime minister last year after the Constitutional Court ruled that her predecessor Srettha Thavisin had breached ethics rules and voted to dismiss him as prime minister. The same court also dissolved the country’s popular progressive Move Forward Party, which won the most seats in the 2023 election, and banned its leaders from politics for 10 years.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 38, has only held the premiership for 10 months after replacing her predecessor, who was removed from office. Her suspension brings fresh uncertainty to the Southeast Asian kingdom, which has been roiled by years of political turbulence and leadership shake-ups. Thailand’s Constitutional Court accepted a petition brought by a group of 36 senators who accused Paetongtarn of violating the constitution for breaching ethical standards in the leaked call, which was confirmed as authentic by both sides.
The court voted to suspend Paetongtarn from her prime ministerial duties until it reaches a verdict in the ethics case. Paetongtarn will remain in the Cabinet as culture minister following a reshuffle. Paetongtarn has faced increasing calls to resign, with anti-government protesters taking to the streets of the capital Bangkok over the weekend, after the leaked call with Cambodia’s Hun Sen over an escalating border dispute sparked widespread anger in the country.
Unceremonious Exit
The scandal prompted the Bhumjaithai party, a major partner of the prime minister’s government, to withdraw from the coalition last week, dealing a major blow to her Pheu Thai party’s ability to hold power. Paetongtarn is also contending with plummeting approvals ratings (latest favourability at 12%) and faces a no-confidence vote in parliament.
The decision follows widespread backlash over a leaked phone call between Paetongtarn and Cambodia’s Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen amid escalating border tensions between the two Southeast Asian nations. In a statement, the Bhumjaithai Party said its executive board convened and unanimously agreed to exit the government. All of the party’s ministers have tendered their resignations to the prime minister, effective from Thursday.
“Bhumjaithai has called on Prime Minister Paetongtarn to take responsibility for making the country lose its dignity, honour, and respect for the people and the armed forces,” the party said. The party stands ready to cooperate with the Thai people, support the army, and assist all officials safeguarding Thailand’s sovereignty, territory, and national interests by every possible means, the statement said.
Another slap in the face
To add salt to the Thai PM wounds, Hun Sen, the ex-PM and the current President of the Cambodian Senate, has just publicly revealed that former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, sister of Thaksin Shinawatra and aunt of the suspended PM, used a Cambodian passport to escape Thailand and take refuge abroad – with his assistance.
Hun Send said on June 27 that he had refrained from disclosing this information out of respect, but was compelled to speak after repeated personal attacks from current Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. He stated, “I pitied Yingluck. She still holds a Cambodian passport and resides overseas. But she’s suffering because of her brother, and now again because of her niece. I didn’t want to speak out — but I must. When the vehicle transported Yingluck out of Poipet, it coincided with her flight from Singapore to Siem Reap. The plane landed, and she immediately got in the car. Today, the truth comes out.” Yingluck Shinawatra was Thailand’s 28th Prime Minister and the country’s first female head of government, elected in 2011.
Hun Sen said, “I regret that a 30-year friendship was destroyed by a friend’s daughter,” referring to Paetongtarn, while expressing frustration over what he sees as her repeated attacks. He added, “The Thai prime minister may insult her own military, but she cannot insult me.”
In the final analysis, this was a case of an older and more experienced politician outmanoeuvring a novice that led to her downfall. Think about this – would Hun Seng be able to twist his knife like this had Thaksin been on the other side of the chessboard?
Epilogue
After the suspension of Paetongtarn, Thailand’s acting prime minister is set to helm the country, just for a long period of 24 hours, standing in for suspended premier before being replaced himself in a cabinet reshuffle. Transport minister and deputy prime minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit began his engagements by attending a ceremony in Bangkok celebrating the longevity of the prime minister’s office. During a brief ceremony open to media Suriya declined to respond to queries asking how he felt about his ephemeral leadership, which caps a decades-long political career. He said his most urgent business had been to “sign a paper” ensuring a smooth transition to his successor the following day.
Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai assumed caretaker responsibilities after the cabinet reshuffle again, removing Suriya from the post, a government statement confirmed. In a post on social media, the Thai government said that Phumtham’s role as acting prime minister had been agreed at the first meeting of a new cabinet, which took place shortly after ministers were sworn in by King Maha Vajiralongkorn. Before her suspension began, Paetongtarn appointed herself as culture minister in the new cabinet. She was sworn in to the position together with Phumtham.
Paetongtarn’s government had struggled to revive a flagging economy, with an opinion poll in late June suggesting that her popularity had dropped to 9.2% from 30.9% in March. Thailand’s political dynasty has been facing legal peril on two fronts, as a separate court hears a royal defamation suit against her father, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Thaksin has denied the charges against him and repeatedly pledged allegiance to the crown. Thaksin dodged jail and spent six months in hospital detention on medical grounds before being released on parole in February last year. The Supreme Court will this month scrutinise that hospital stay and could potentially send him back to jail.
