Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Why Thailand's Prime Minister Was Removed From Office

Thailand's Constitutional Court dismissed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office on August 29 over a controversial phone conversation in June with Cambodia’s former leader, Hun Sen. According to Al Jazeera, she was found guilty of 'ethical misconduct' over her handling of a border row with the latter country. The nine-judge court ruled that Shinawatra had put her personal interests over those of the nation. 

In the leaked phone conversation, Shinawatra was heard pandering to Hun Sen and calling him “uncle”, while criticising a senior Thai army commander and describing him as an “opponent”. She was suspended in July pending an outcome in the trial. The border row with Cambodia spiralled in the ensuing days into armed clashes that killed dozens and displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border. The fighting ended with a Malaysia-brokered ceasefire on July 29.

The recent ruling makes Shinawatra the fifth PM since 2008 to be stripped of office by Thai judges. She commented, “The verdict today caused a change in Thai politics. We all have to help, all sides, whether government or opposition, or the people, all of us have to work together to build political stability and to ensure that there won’t be another turning point again.” The 6-3 decision is final and not open to appeal.

Who Is Paetongtarn Shinawatra?

Shinawatra served exactly one year as Thailand's Prime Minister. In August 2024, she became the youngest-ever PM of the country, after the dismissal of former leader Srettha Thavisin over 'ethical and moral' breaches. Shinawatra is the daughter of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who founded the Pheu Thai Party, and the niece of Thailand's first female PM, Yingluck Shinawatra. 

Paetongtarn Shinawatra also ran for PM in 2023. Her campaign included lowering public transportation fares, expanding healthcare coverage and doubling the minimum daily wage. Her appointment as the Prime Minister came amid a long-standing dispute between the pro-royalist military and populist parties linked to the Pheu Thai party.

She entered politics in 2021 as the chief of Pheu Thai's Inclusion and Innovation Advisory Committee. Before politics, Shinawatra ran the hotel arm of her family business. She has a bachelor's degree in Political Science, Sociology, and Anthropology from Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, and a postgraduate degree in International Hotel Management from the University of Surrey, England.