Summary
It was the leaked phone conversation that could topple the Thai government. In a call with Cambodia’s elder statesman, Hun Sen, the deferent tone struck by Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, and her disparagement of the Thai military, has put her under severe domestic pressure.
Her coalition partners have withdrawn their support, which would leave ruling party Pheu Thai without a majority in parliament. Thousands have protested, calling for the prime minister’s resignation. Paetongtarn herself has been suspended by the constitutional court while they investigate her actions.
At the centre of this political crisis, is a border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, one which has been escalating with border closure and import bans. But could geopolitical tensions be a cover for the prime minister’s rivals to remove her from power? What will this period of political uncertainty mean for Thailand, which is facing economic and demographic challenges? And will this once again end in the fall of the Shinawatra family?
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