How Thailand’s youngest PM became the fourth in family to be removed by a Constitutional Court

“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,” she further added.

Paetongtarn, who became Thailand’s youngest prime minister in August 2024, lasted just a year in office. In a 6–3 decision, the court ruled that she “lacked demonstrable honesty and integrity” and had violated ethical standards in the June call, during which she addressed Hun Sen as “uncle,” criticised her own army’s handling of border clashes, and assured him: “If you want anything, just tell me, and I will take care of it.”

Only weeks after the call, Thailand and Cambodia engaged in their deadliest military clash in decades — a five-day conflict that killed more than 40 people, mostly civilians, and displaced over 300,000 along the border.

Thailand’s suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra attends a press conference after being dismissed from her position, in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, August. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Paetongtarn, a political novice with no prior government experience, took power after her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, was expelled by the Constitutional Court. Her main credential was her lineage: she is the daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the billionaire populist whose family has dominated Thai politics for more than two decades.

Earlier this month on her 39th birthday, Paetongtarn testified before the court for more than an hour, though the details were barred from publication. She denied wrongdoing, saying the call was a negotiation tactic. Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai defended her, telling reporters: “I believe there was nothing that affected the country’s security, and I trust her intention to keep Thailand out of conflict.”

Shinawatras under scrutiny

Her removal adds another chapter to the long-running intertwined history of Thailand and her family. Six Shinawatra-aligned prime ministers have now been toppled by either coups or court rulings, a sign of the dynasty’s fraught rivalry with country’s establishment.

Moreover, Paetongtarn’s ouster is only one part of the storm engulfing her family. Her father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, faced a lèse-majesté (insult to the monarch) case. The charge stemmed from comments he made in a 2015 interview in South Korea. Thailand’s lèse-majesté laws are among the strictest in the world, making it a crime to “defame, insult or threaten” the monarchy, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

In this file photo, former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is seen with his sister, Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. (Facebook/Thaksin Shinawatra)

Thaksin, once a telecom billionaire, has been one of Thailand’s most influential and divisive figures for more than two decades. He was toppled in a 2006 coup and lived in self-imposed exile for 15 years to avoid corruption charges. When he returned in 2023, he served a short sentence under comfortable conditions before being pardoned.

Last week, the 76-year-old billionaire, was cleared of charges of insulting the monarchy, and is now facing a separate court case over allegations that he stayed in a hospital wing instead of prison upon his 2023 return from exile to serve a reduced sentence for corruption.

Brushes with power

The Shinawatra dynasty has dominated Thai politics for more than 20 years, winning multiple elections but rarely surviving in power.

• Thaksin was ousted in 2006 and forced into exile.
• His sister Yingluck Shinawatra was removed from office before the military coup in 2014.
• Their brother-in-law, Somchai Wongsawat, was dismissed as premier in 2008.
• Now, Paetongtarn has joined them as the fourth Shinawatra to be removed from power.

Despite repeated setbacks, the family’s Pheu Thai Party has remained a dominant force, often returning to power through elections. But this latest ruling, combined with Thaksin’s ongoing cases and divisions inside the ruling coalition, has left the party on shaky ground.

From rising star to downfall

Paetongtarn entered politics in 2023 to lead the Thaksin-backed Pheu Thai party. Pregnant during the campaign trail, she drew on nostalgia for her family’s populist past, promising sweeping reforms to revive the economy. Though Pheu Thai placed second in the election, Thaksin’s political machine manoeuvred to secure a coalition majority, first installing Srettha as prime minister and later Paetongtarn herself.

As per a report by Reuters, at the start of her term, she was popular: a September 2024 poll showed 31 per cent of Thais favoured her as premier. But by June this year, support had collapsed to 9 per cent, as her government failed to deliver on flagship promises such as a national stimulus handout and broader economic revival.

Her undoing, however, was not economics but diplomacy. In June, a leaked audio recording revealed her addressing Hun Sen as “uncle,” appearing deferential, and criticising a respected Thai general. The backlash was swift. Thirty-six senators petitioned the Constitutional Court to remove her, accusing her of dishonesty and undermining national security.

Paetongtarn has insisted her government is not under anyone’s influence, while Thaksin, 75, has said he is retired and only offers advice. (Photo/X/@prdthailand)

On July 1, the court suspended Paetongtarn from prime ministerial duties, though she remained in the Cabinet as culture minister following a reshuffle.

Paetongtarn apologised, insisting she had only sought to de-escalate tensions. Yet a military buildup along the Thai-Cambodian border spiralled into five days of fighting in late July, with jets and artillery exchanges that left more than 40 people dead and 300,000 displaced.

The fighting ended with a Malaysia-brokered ceasefire on July 29.

What happens next?

Under Thailand’s constitution, drafted under military supervision, only the politicians who have been nominated for prime minister by their parties before the 2023 elections can form a government.

Pheu Thai must nominate a new prime minister to face a parliamentary vote. Its main option is former justice minister Chaikasem Nitisiri, but support from coalition partners is uncertain after the Bhumjaithai Party pulled out in protest over Paetongtarn’s phone call. If Pheu Thai cannot rally behind a candidate, the prospect of new elections looms — with the party’s popularity already in decline amid economic struggles and delayed policy rollouts.

(With inputs from CNN, and The Guardian)