Bangkok, Thailand (BN24) – Thousands of demonstrators filled Bangkok’s streets on Saturday, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra after the leak of a controversial phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen intensified public anger and fractured her governing coalition.
Protesters converged on the city’s Victory Monument, waving Thai flags and carrying placards declaring the prime minister an “enemy of the state.” The rally, the largest since the Pheu Thai Party returned to power in 2023, unfolded despite heavy monsoon rain that failed to deter crowds intent on pressing for Paetongtarn’s departure.
The uproar erupted earlier this month when audio of the call surfaced online. In the recording, Paetongtarn referred to Hun Sen as “uncle” and criticized a Thai military commander involved in a tense border dispute, saying he “just wanted to look cool and said things that are not useful.” The remarks struck a nerve in Thailand, where national security remains a deeply sensitive issue.
Although the prime minister apologized and defended her tone as a “negotiation technique,” the fallout has been swift. One of her coalition’s key partners has already withdrawn support, and a Constitutional Court petition seeking her removal over alleged unprofessional conduct is scheduled for review this week.
Protest leader Parnthep Pourpongpan addressed the crowd, declaring Paetongtarn “the problem” and insisting she step aside for the sake of national stability. “We want to protect Thailand’s sovereignty,” said Seri Sawangmue, a 70-year-old demonstrator who traveled overnight from the country’s north to join the rally. “The prime minister is unfit.”
As the demonstrations unfolded, Paetongtarn, 38, was in northern Thailand meeting flood victims. Speaking to reporters before departing Bangkok, she said it was citizens’ “right to protest, as long as it’s peaceful,” but pledged she would no longer hold private calls with Hun Sen.
The leak has fueled accusations that the Shinawatra family, which has dominated Thai politics for more than two decades, is too closely entangled with Cambodia’s Hun dynasty. Paetongtarn’s father, deposed former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and Hun Sen have long described each other as “godbrothers,” a relationship critics say compromises Thailand’s interests.
While relations between Thailand and Cambodia have been tense for decades, recent border clashes, including the killing of a Cambodian soldier in May, have pushed diplomatic ties to their lowest point in more than ten years. Cambodia has retaliated by imposing broad restrictions on Thai goods, electricity, and cultural imports.
Hun Sen, who said he distributed the audio clip to dozens of political figures before it was leaked, later posted the entire 17-minute recording on his Facebook page. The call triggered fresh scrutiny of Paetongtarn’s judgment just ten months into her term as Thailand’s second female prime minister, following her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra.
The rally was organized by the United Force of the Land, a coalition of nationalist groups that have long opposed Shinawatra-led administrations. In a statement read aloud to the assembled crowds, organizers accused the government and parliament of abandoning their responsibility to uphold democracy and Thailand’s constitutional monarchy.
As protesters dispersed, a rainbow formed over Victory Monument, ending a dramatic day that underscored the country’s enduring political fault lines. The Constitutional Court is expected to announce on Tuesday whether it will proceed with the case that could ultimately decide Paetongtarn’s political fate.
BBC
