Thailand’s Political Fault Line: The Court-Ordered Ouster of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra

On August 29, 2025, Thailand’s Constitutional Court delivered a seismic verdict: Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was removed from office for an ethics violation, ending her tenure after just over a year in power Reuters+1Financial Times. This decision amplifies the persistent political turbulence gripping Thailand, where no Shinawatra-backed leader seems immune to legal or military interventions.

At the heart of the ruling was a leaked June phone conversation with Cambodia’s former strongman Hun Sen, recorded without disclosure by Hun Sen himself The Wall Street JournalWikipediaAP News. In the recording, Paetongtarn referred to Hun Sen as “uncle,” offered an accommodating tone, and disparaged a Thai army general as someone “just wanting to look tough” — actions the court viewed as undermining national security and sovereignty The Wall Street JournalFinancial TimesWikipediaAnadolu Ajansı.

The court’s decision—by a 6-3 majority—asserted that Paetongtarn placed personal or relational discretion over national interests, thereby damaging public confidence and Thailand’s reputation Reuters+1. She had already been suspended on July 1, following a petition by 36 senators accusing her of ethical misconduct Wikipedia+1.

Her removal marks yet another chapter in the ongoing saga of the Shinawatra political dynasty’s fraught relationship with Thailand’s conservative establishment. Paetongtarn becomes the sixth Shinawatra-linked prime minister ousted by the judiciary or military over the past two decades Reuters+1Financial Times. Her father, Thaksin, faces separate legal challenges beyond this ruling—even as he was recently acquitted in one lese-majesté case Financial TimesTIMEWikipediaReuters.

In the wake of her dismissal, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has stepped in as acting prime minister and will oversee the government in a caretaker capacity ReutersAP NewsWikipediaThe Wall Street Journal. The ruling Pheu Thai Party now faces the daunting task of securing enough support in Parliament to elect a new leader—or potentially fail, pushing the country toward snap elections Reuters+1AP News.

The stakes could hardly be higher. Thailand grapples with a weakening economy (projected growth of just 2.3%) and public disillusionment over stalled reforms Reuters+1. The fallout from Paetongtarn’s removal may herald harsher polarization, intensified horse-trading behind closed doors, and fragile coalition dynamics. Potential successors include Pheu Thai’s only remaining candidate, 77-year-old Chaikasem Nitisiri, as well as former coup leader Prayuth Chan-ocha or Anutin Charnvirakul Reuters+1The Wall Street Journal.

As Thailand once again sits on a precipice, its resurrection of stability may depend on the competing forces of democratic will and institutional power.