Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra yesterday apologized for a leaked phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen that has provoked widespread anger and put her government on the brink of collapse.
Her main coalition partner has quit and she faces calls to resign or hold an election, throwing the kingdom into a fresh round of political instability as it seeks to boost its spluttering economy and avoid US President Donald Trump’s large trade tariffs.
The conservative Bhumjaithai Party pulled out on Wednesday, saying Paetongtarn’s conduct in the leaked call had wounded the country and the army’s dignity.
Photo: AFP
As pressure grew yesterday, Paetongtarn apologized at a news conference alongside military chiefs and senior figures from her Pheu Thai Party.
“I would like to apologize for the leaked audio of my conversation with a Cambodian leader, which has caused public resentment,” Paetongtarn told reporters.
The 38-year-old is the daughter of billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand’s most influential, but controversial, modern politician.
Paetongtarn is heard in the call discussing an ongoing border dispute with Hun Sen, who still holds wide power in Cambodia despite leaving office in 2023.
She addresses the veteran leader as “uncle” and refers to the Thai army commander in the country’s northeast as her opponent, a remark that sparked fierce criticism on social media.
The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday summoned the Cambodian ambassador to deliver a letter complaining about the leaking of the call.
The loss of Bhumjaithai’s 69 lawmakers left Paetongtarn with barely enough votes to scrape a majority in parliament and a snap election looks a clear possibility — barely two years after the last one in May 2023.
Two other coalition parties, the United Thai Nation Party and the Democrat Party, were to hold meetings to discuss the situation.
Paetongtarn would be hoping her apology and public show of unity with the military are enough to persuade them to stay on board.
Losing either would likely mean the end of her government and either an election or a bid by other parties to stitch together a new coalition.
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