Thailand’s Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Tuesday pending an investigation into a leaked call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen – a move analysts say could destabilise the government and heighten divisions within the ruling coalition.
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Paetongtarn’s powers will be suspended from Tuesday while the nine-member court considers a petition by a group of 36 senators accusing her of breaching ethical standards in violation of the constitution. The decision to suspend her duties was backed by seven out of nine judges, the court said in a statement.
Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit will assume a caretaker role while the court decides the case against Paetongtarn, who has 15 days to respond. She will remain in the cabinet as the new culture minister following a recent reshuffle.
“Government work doesn’t stop, there is no problem,” said Tourism Minister Sorawong Thienthong, who is also secretary general of Paetongtarn’s Pheu Thai Party.
Paetongtarn has faced growing dissatisfaction over her handling of the latest border dispute with Cambodia, which included an armed confrontation on May 28 that left one Cambodian soldier dead.
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The leaked phone call sparked public outrage regarding Paetongtarn’s remarks about a regional army commander and her efforts to appease Hun Sen, Cambodia’s current Senate president and its long-serving former prime minister. This has weakened her Pheu Thai-led coalition, which now has a narrow majority after a key party withdrew and is expected to seek a no-confidence vote in parliament.