Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Bangkok on Saturday to call for the resignation of Thailand’s prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, whose leaked phone conversation with Cambodia’s de facto leader has stirred growing anger.
As of Saturday afternoon, more than 6,000 demonstrators had gathered at the Victory Monument, a war memorial, according to the police. The protests, which persisted through a heavy downpour, were largely peaceful, but they add to the pressure on Ms. Paetongtarn after the call, which captured her appearing to disparage her own country’s powerful military and taking a deferential tone.
The protests are being closely watched in a country where public demonstrations have precipitated the downfalls of previous governments. The turmoil has also stoked fears that the military could intervene. Though coups have been a regular feature of Thailand’s modern history, analysts say they do not think one is likely now.
Thailand in the past week has been gripped by the revelations of the June 15 call between Ms. Paetongtarn and Hun Sen, who was Cambodia’s prime minister for decades and remains head of the country’s People’s Party. In the audio, Ms. Paetongtarn, 38, called Mr. Hun Sen, 72, “uncle” and told him that she would “arrange” anything that he wants.
“This prime minister is selling out the nation,” said Patcharee Twitchsri, 66, a former insurance agent. “She is doing everything for her personal gain. Also, she has no experience.”
Ms. Paetongtarn, who has condemned the leak, said she was merely using a negotiation tactic to address a simmering border dispute. On Saturday, visiting Chiang Rai to monitor flood conditions, she told reporters that it was the protesters’ right to call for her resignation, and said that she was open to discussing matters peacefully. “I don’t intend to retaliate,” she said.
Saturday’s demonstrations had a nationalistic flavor, with many protesters carrying Thai flags or wearing T-shirts bearing a Thai map and a line from the national anthem: “The Thai love peace, but don’t fear war.”
They were organized by a group called Uniting the Power of the Land for the Defense of Thai Sovereignty.
Two of the protest’s leaders had decades ago been at the forefront of rival political movements that battled over Ms. Paetongtarn’s father, Thaksin Shinawatra, and her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, both previous prime ministers. Last month, the two protest leaders made a public show of unity, something once considered unthinkable.
The Shinawatras, for decades the most influential family in Thai politics, face a series of challenges in the coming days.
On Tuesday, the Constitutional Court is to hear a petition from a group of senators on whether Ms. Paetongtarn should be removed from office for the call, which they say breached the Constitution, lacked integrity and violated ethical standards. The same day, Mr. Thaksin goes on trial on a charge of insulting the monarchy, which could bring a prison term of as much as 15 years.
Ms. Paetongtarn has a slim majority in Parliament and could face a no-confidence vote, which is being pushed by the party that was the second-largest member of her governing coalition before quitting her alliance last month. In March, she survived a no-confidence vote after opposition lawmakers criticized her as unqualified for the job and a puppet of her father.
“Thailand is not a playground for rich kids like Ung Ing to practice running things,” said Taweesil Jeerakul, 55, a retiree, referring to the prime minister by her nickname. “I want the military to come back,” he added, saying he used to be a supporter of Ms. Paetongtarn’s party, Pheu Thai. “I know that it’s not a popular opinion, but at least they get things done.”
The protest reflects the waning appeal of the Shinawatra brand. The various political parties led by Mr. Thaksin have won nearly every election in Thailand for the past two decades. But analysts say Pheu Thai’s failure to deliver on its campaign promises and the seemingly preferential treatment afforded to Mr. Thaksin after his return from exile in 2023 have ruined its future prospects.
An opinion poll conducted in February by the National Institute of Development Administration showed that most Thais were dissatisfied with Ms. Paetongtarn and her government’s performance.
She has been facing scrutiny over why her father did not serve a day in prison when he returned home from the 15 years he spent exiled after being convicted on charges of corruption and abuse of power. Many analysts believe that his return was the result of a grand bargain he struck with the royalist-military establishment to block the progressive Move Forward Party from taking power.
Mr. Thaksin spent his six-month detention in a V.I.P. hospital suite being treated for high blood pressure, low oxygen and tightness in his chest. The majority of his sentence was subsequently commuted. The Supreme Court has started an inquiry into the circumstances of his stay.
Sucharee Wattanapanich, 45, an office worker, said she wanted a new election, with a new government. “I’m super mad,” Ms. Sucharee said. “They can’t do anything to improve our lives. She has to go. They all have to go.”
Muktita Suhartono reports on Thailand and Indonesia. She is based in Bangkok.
Sui-Lee Wee is the Southeast Asia bureau chief for The Times, overseeing coverage of 11 countries in the region.
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