Thailand’s PM digs in as defections and legal challenge threaten her power

Thailand’s besieged Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra scrambled on Saturday to shore up her wobbling coalition after a leaked phone call drove defections from her government and rekindled resentments against her family, threatening to end her time in office after less than a year.

Compounding her woes, Paetongtarn is set to face a court challenge from Thai senators and planned street protests demanding her ouster.

Thailand’s youngest ever leader at 38 and the daughter of divisive two-time leader Thaksin Shinawatra was forced to apologise after a call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen was leaked amid an increasingly tense border stand-off.

In the call, Paetongtarn addressed Hun Sen as “uncle” and appeared to criticise a senior Thai military officer, in a country where the powerful military has carried out a dozen coups and draws on a well of nationalist support.

Key coalition partner Bhumjaithai has left the government over the apparent failure by the prime minister to defend Thailand’s interests. Another partner in the coalition – United Thai Nation Party – is threatening to abandon the administration unless she resigns.

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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

Meanwhile, a petition from the Senate has been submitted to the Constitutional Court and the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to have her removed from her post over the revelations in the call.