THAILAND’S Constitutional Court dismissed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra today, ruling that she breached ethics rules in a phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. 

The verdict, decided by a six-to-three vote, abruptly ended the premiership of the country’s youngest prime minister and marked another setback for the Shinawatra dynasty, which has shaped Thai politics for more than two decades.

The court said that the 39-year-old’s remarks during the June call, in which she referred to Mr Hun Sen as “uncle” and described a Thai army general as an “opponent,” undermined national interests. 

Judges concluded that her words reflected a willingness to align with Cambodia and fell short of ethical standards, particularly at a time of growing border tensions.

Ms Paetongtarn defended her actions as a negotiation tactic aimed at easing tensions.

After the ruling, she said that she would accept the decision but insisted that she was innocent and had acted with the sole purpose of saving lives.

Her supporters gathered outside the court, dressed in red, to show support as the verdict was delivered.

Audio of the call, released online by Mr Hun Sen, surfaced just weeks before a deadly border conflict erupted in late June, which killed dozens and displaced more than 260,000 people.

Ms Paetongtarn is the fifth Thai prime minister in less than 20 years to be removed from office by the court, with the controversy tapping into longstanding suspicions of the Shinawatra family’s ties to Cambodia. 

Her father, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, maintained a close relationship with Mr Hun Sen and was accused of prioritising personal interests over national ones before being toppled in a 2006 coup. 

Both Mr Thaksin and his sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, were ousted before completing their terms, while other family members and allies have also been forced out of office.

It comes after Ms Paetongtarn’s government was already facing criticism of what opponents said was a failure to turn around an economy that had been lagging since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Bhumjaithai Party, the biggest partner of Pheu Thai, has already dropped out of the ruling coalition, leaving it with a slim majority of seats in the House of Representatives.

Ms Paetongtarn had been suspended since July 1, with Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai acting in her place. 

His caretaker cabinet will remain until Parliament votes on a new leader, though an election could also be called.