BANGKOK – Thailand’s suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra appeared in court on Thursday to face a petition seeking her removal from office over her handling of a heated border dispute with Cambodia. The proceedings come after a leaked audio recording of her call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen sparked intense backlash. In the recording, Paetongtarn failed to adopt a firm stance on Thailand’s territorial interests—an omission that has raised serious concerns about her leadership.
Known as the youngest-ever prime minister and a prominent member of the influential Shinawatra family, Paetongtarn was suspended by Thailand’s Constitutional Court last month. The court convened the case after 36 senators filed an ethics complaint alleging that she breached expected standards of conduct. A verdict is due next Friday.
Despite the gravity of the situation, Paetongtarn maintained her composure—greeting reporters with a smile as she arrived in court alongside advisor Prommin Lertsuridej, who is also implicated in the case. Her suspension has sparked widespread political uncertainty in Thailand, where the Supreme Court ousted her predecessor on unrelated ethics grounds just last year.
Source: CNA
