Court suspends Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra

BANGKOK — Thailand’s Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office Tuesday pending an ethics investigation over a leaked phone call with a senior Cambodian leader.

The judges voted unanimously Tuesday to take the petition accusing her of a breach of ethics, and voted 7 to 2 to suspend her from duty as a prime minister. The court gave Paetongtarn 15 days to give evidence to support her case.

Paetongtarn has faced growing dissatisfaction over her handling of the latest border dispute with Cambodia, involving an armed confrontation on May 28 in which one Cambodian soldier was killed. The leaked phone call while she engaged in diplomacy over the border dispute set off a string of complaints and public protests.

There was no immediate reaction from Paetongtarm after the court order. She said Monday that she would accept and follow the process although she didn’t want to see her work interrupted.

It’s expected that Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungruangkit will become the acting prime minister following Paetongtarn’s suspension, although there’s still no official confirmation.

Earlier Tuesday, King Maha Vajiralongkorn had endorsed a Cabinet reshuffle forced when a major party left Paetongtarn’s coalition government over the leaked phone call.

The reshuffle replaced former Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, which had held several Cabinet positions in her government.

Paetongtarn took the position of culture minister in addition to prime minister in the new Cabinet. She said she wanted to promote Thai culture on a global scale. It’s unclear if she can take the oath to remain in that role.

Paetongtarn also faces investigations over an alleged breach of ethics by the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, whose decision could also lead to her removal.

The Constitutional Court last year removed her predecessor over a breach of ethics. Thailand’s courts, especially the Constitutional Court, are viewed as a bulwark of the royalist establishment, which has used them and nominally independent agencies such as the Election Commission to cripple or sink political opponents.

Outrage over the call mostly revolved around Paetongtarn’s comments toward an outspoken regional army commander and her perceived attempts to appease Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen to ease tensions at the border.

Thousands of conservative, nationalist-leaning protesters rallied in central Bangkok on Saturday to demand Paetongtarn’s resignation.