Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office, saying it was deliberating a complaint that could result in her permanent removal from the job.
A group of senators has accused Ms. Paetongtarn of ethical violations in talks over a simmering border dispute with Cambodia’s de facto leader, Hun Sen. She appeared to take a deferential tone with Mr. Hun Sen in the conversation, which was private but was released online by him to gain leverage.
The move created a spiraling crisis for Ms. Paetongtarn. For more than a week, she has faced heated calls to step down, with thousands of protesters gathering in Bangkok on Sunday to demand her resignation. Her governing coalition has suffered a major defection and her government could soon face a no-confidence vote.
The court suspended Ms. Paetongtarn in a 7-2 ruling.
It is the latest upheaval in Thailand, which has suffered from long stretches of political uncertainty in recent years. It also leaves Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy in a leadership vacuum at a time when its economy is facing a slowdown. And it has raised concerns that the military, which has long intervened in political crises, could stage another coup.
But that scenario is unlikely, analysts said. Instead, the royalist-military establishment is likely to use legal maneuvering to push her out. Last year, Ms. Paetongtarn’s predecessor, Srettha Thavisin,was removed by the Constitutional Court over ethics violations.
On June 15, Ms. Paetongtarn and Mr. Hun Sen held a call, with translators, to discuss border tensions that have flared occasionally over the decades. But relations between the two neighbors have deteriorated to the lowest point in years after a Cambodian soldier was killed last month in a brief skirmish.
In the recording, Ms. Paetongtarn took a deferential tone, calling him “uncle” and offering to “arrange” anything that he wants. She also appeared to disparage her own country’s powerful military.
Her comments drew condemnation from lawmakers, both those in her coalition and in the opposition, who all called on Ms. Paetongtarn to resign. The second-largest member of her governing coalition, the Bhumjaithai Party, quit her alliance earlier last month. Quickly, the legal challenges against Ms. Paetongtarn piled up.
The case taken up by the Constitutional Court was filed by a group of 36 senators who say that Ms. Paetongtarn’s conduct during the call breached the constitution, lacked integrity and violated ethical standards. They asked for Ms. Paetongtarn to be removed.
Since she took office last year, Ms. Paetongtarn, 38, has been viewed as a puppet of her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister who remains a powerful behind-the-scenes player in the current government.
Mr. Thaksin, 75, is also facing legal challenges. On Tuesday, he went on trial for on a criminal charge of insulting the monarchy, a case that could send him to prison for up to 15 years.
Muktita Suhartono and Kittiphum Sringammuang contributed reporting.
Sui-Lee Wee is the Southeast Asia bureau chief for The Times, overseeing coverage of 11 countries in the region.
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