Groundhog Day in Thailand as Shinawatra clan faces protests, courts and crisis

Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is under mounting pressure from protests, court cases, coalition rifts and a spiralling border dispute with Cambodia – a convergence of crises that could determine whether she remains in office.

Paetongtarn, 38, is Thailand’s youngest leader and the daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, whose two-decade power struggle with the royalist establishment has repeatedly thrown the country into political turmoil.

The return of Thaksin from self-imposed exile in 2023 helped broker a fragile coalition between his Pheu Thai party and former rivals, aimed at blocking the progressive Move Forward Party from power despite its resounding election win.

But that alliance is now unravelling. As old enmities resurface, Paetongtarn’s government is increasingly viewed as being on the brink – raising fears of another short-lived administration and renewed political instability in a country long plagued by power struggles and military interventions.

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Thai government hangs by thread as leaked phone call shreds PM Paetongtarn’s credibility

Thai government hangs by thread as leaked phone call shreds PM Paetongtarn’s credibility

With political pressures intensifying, several scenarios could unfold in the days ahead. Here’s what to watch for.

The streets