Thai PM faces growing calls to quit in Cambodia phone row
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra faced mounting calls to resign on Thursday after a leaked phone call she had with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen provoked widespread anger and a key coalition partner to quit.
The coalition government led by Paetongtarn's Pheu Thai party is on the brink of collapsing and throwing the kingdom into a fresh round of political instability as it seeks to boost its spluttering economy and avoid US President Donald Trump's swingeing trade tariffs.
The conservative Bhumjaithai party, Pheu Thai's biggest partner, pulled out on Wednesday saying Paetongtarn's conduct in the leaked call had wounded the country and the army's dignity.
Losing Bhumjaithai's 69 MPs leaves Paetongtarn with barely enough votes to scrape a majority in parliament, and a snap election looks a clear possibility -- barely two years after the last one in May 2023.
Two coalition parties, the United Thai Nation and Democrat Party, will hold urgent meetings to discuss the situation later on Thursday.
Losing either would likely mean the end of Paetongtarn's government and either an election or a bid by other parties to stitch together a new coalition.
- Resignation calls -
The main opposition People's Party, which won most seats in 2023 but was blocked by conservative senators from forming a government, called on Paetongtarn to call an election.
"What happened yesterday was a leadership crisis that destroyed people's trust," People's Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut said in a statement.
"People want a government that can solve problems and only way to do that is to have a legitimate government."
The Palang Pracharath party, which led the government up to 2023 and is headed by General Prawit Wongsuwan -- who supported a 2014 coup against Paetongtarn's aunt Yingluck -- called for the premier to resign.
A statement from the party said the leaked recording showed Paetongtarn was weak and inexperienced, and incapable of managing the country's security.
Hundreds of anti-government protesters, some of them veterans of the royalist, anti-Thaksin "Yellow Shirt" movement of the late 2000s, demonstrated outside Government House demanding Paetongtarn quit.
In the leaked phone call, Paetongtarn is heard discussing an ongoing border dispute with Hun Sen -- who stepped down as Cambodian prime minister in 2023 after four decades but still wields considerable influence.
She addresses the veteran leader as "uncle" and refers to the Thai army commander in the country's northeast as her opponent, a remark that sparked fierce criticism on social media, particularly on Pheu Thai page and Royal Thai Army page.
Thailand's armed forces have a long played a powerful role in the kingdom's politics, and politicians are usually careful not to antagonise them.
The kingdom has had a dozen coups since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932, and the current crisis has inevitably triggered rumours that another may be in the offing.
If she is ousted she would be the third member of her family, after her aunt Yingluck and father Thaksin Shinawatra, to be kicked out of office by the army.
- Awkward coalition -
Paetongtarn, 38, came to power in August 2024 at the head of an uneasy coalition between Pheu Thai and a group of conservative, pro-military parties whose members have spent much of the last 20 years battling against her father.
Growing tensions within the coalition erupted into open warfare in the past week as Pheu Thai tried to take the interior minister job away from Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul.
The loss of Bhumjaithai leaves Pheu Thai's coalition with just a handful more votes than the 248 needed for a majority.
The battle between the conservative pro-royal establishment and Thaksin's political movement has dominated Thai politics for more than 20 years.
Former Manchester City owner Thaksin, 75, still enjoys huge support from the rural base whose lives he transformed with populist policies in the early 2000s.
But he is despised by Thailand's powerful elites, who saw his rule as corrupt, authoritarian and socially destabilising.
Thaksin returned to Thailand in 2023 as Pheu Thai took power after 15 years in self-exile overseas.
The current Pheu Thai-led government has already lost one prime minister, former businessman Srettha Thavisin, who was kicked out by a court order last year, bringing Paetongtarn to office.
tp-tak-pdw/dhw
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Anti-Israel protester Mahmoud Khalil speaks out after release from Louisiana lockup
Anti-Israel protester Mahmoud Khalil lamented leaving behind some 'incredible men' on Friday as he left a Louisiana detention facility, which he hopes becomes a museum to what he described as 'America's racist policies.' 'I leave some incredible men behind me, over 1,000 people behind me, in a place where they shouldn't have been in the first place,' Khalil told reporters after walking out of the La Salle Detention Facility in Jena, La. 'I hope the next time that I will be in Jena is to actually visit this as a museum on America's racist policies against immigrants,' the former Columbia University student added. 3 Khalil said he'll join his wife and child in New York after being released from a federal detention center in Louisiana. AP After being picked up by federal immigration authorities on March 8, Khalil spent 104 days at the rural Louisiana detention center as the Trump administration fought to deport the Syrian-born permanent resident for allegedly engaging in activities 'aligned to Hamas,' a Palestinian terror group, while studying at Columbia. 'The Trump administration are doing their best to dehumanize everyone here,' Khalil charged outside the detention center, 'whether you are a US citizen, an immigrant, or just a person on this land doesn't mean that you are less of a human.' '[President Trump] and his administration, they chose the wrong person for this,' he said defiantly. 'That doesn't mean that there is a right person.' Khalil, wearing a keffiyeh, went on to slam his alma mater, accusing the Ivy League school of 'investing in the genocide of the Palestinian people.' 'There is no right person who should be detained, who are actually protesting a genocide, for protesting their university – Columbia University – that is investing in the genocide of the Palestinian people,' he said. Newark federal Judge Michael Farbiarz, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, ordered Khalil's release earlier Friday, finding that the Trump administration may be unfairly holding him in retaliation for his outspoken stance against Israel's war with Hamas. Farbiarz determined that Khalil is not a flight risk and 'not a danger to the community.' 3 Khalil said the Trump administration 'chose the wrong person for this.' AP 3 Khalil spent 104 days at the detention facility in Jena, La. DAN ANDERSON/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock The anti-Israel activist said the first thing he'll do when he returns home to New York is 'just hug my wife and son.' Khalil's wife, an American citizen, gave birth to their son in April while her husband was being held in the Louisiana facility. 'The only time I spent with my son was a specified one-hour limit that the government had imposed on us … so that means that now I can actually hug him and Noor, my wife, without looking at the clock,' Khalil said. 'The moment you enter this facility, your rights leave you, leave you behind,' he continued. 'So, once you enter there, you see a different reality – just a different reality about this country that supposedly champions human rights and liberty and justice.' 'But once you cross, literally, that door, you see that opposite side of what's actually happening in this country.' Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin slammed Farbiarz ruling and told The Post she expects a higher court to order Khalil's return to federal custody. 'An immigration judge, not a district judge, has the authority to decide if Mr. Khalil should be released or detained,' McLaughlin said in a statement. 'On the same day an immigration judge denied Khalil bond and ordered him removed, one rogue district judge ordered him released.' 'This is yet another example of how out of control members of the judicial branch are undermining national security. Their conduct not only denies the result of the 2024 election, it also does great harm to our constitutional system by undermining public confidence in the courts.' McLaughlin argued that 'it is a privilege to be granted a visa or green card to live and study in the United States of America' and that the Trump administration 'acted well within its statutory and constitutional authority to detain Khalil, as it does with any alien who advocates for violence, glorifies and supports terrorists, harasses Jews, and damages property.' 'An immigration judge has already vindicated this position. We expect a higher court to do the same.'
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Gavin Newsom sipped wine at Napa fundraiser while anti-ICE protesters plunged L.A. into chaos
California Gov. Gavin Newsom threw on a pair of sunglasses and sipped wine at a ritzy party at his sun-drenched vineyard earlier this month – just as chaotic, anti-ICE protests kicked off in Los Angeles. The luxe event dubbed 'Vineyard Vibes' was held at the Odette Estate Winery in Napa Valley to raise money for the PlumpJack Foundation, founded by Newsom's sister, on the afternoon of June 7. One witness was appalled that the Democrat was casually enjoying a glass of vino in a V-neck T-shirt and baseball cap the day after his City of Angels started spiraling into violence, with rioters throwing concrete rocks at cops and vandalizing federal buildings. 4 California Gov. Gavin Newsom was spotted at the Odette Estate Winery in Napa Valley as anti-ICE protests kicked off in Los Angeles earlier this month. Obtained by NYPost 4 The governor was dressed casually at the fundraiser, just a day after LA started spiraling into violence. Obtained by NYPost 'I couldn't believe it,' said the source, who photographed Newsom at the wine-tasting event. 'He was just walking around like this was an everyday occurrence.' But more than 400 miles away, downtown Los Angeles was plunging into chaos – rioters were busted for tossing Molotov cocktails at law enforcement while vehicles were set on fire and scrawled with graffiti reading 'KILL ICE' and 'F–K ICE.' The violence, spurred by raids on illegal immigrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, reached a point that President Trump called in the National Guard over objections from Newsom, who ripped into the Republican for inflaming the situation. Newsom attended the wine fundraiser for at least 90 minutes, the source said — with Trump sending in the troops later that evening. 4 The 'Vineyard Vibes' event happened on June 7, as one witness there was shocked to see Newsom in a V-neck T-shirt enjoying a glass of wine on the same day protests were breaking out across the City of Angels. AFP via Getty Images The event featured 'contemporary yet sophisticated' wines, live jazz music and local sources pizza and smash burgers. 'It's the perfect kick-off to summer fun,' promotional language stated. 'The fete will take place on the Winery Crushpad, where we'll gather for music, food, conversation, a delicious wine!' A spokesperson for the governor's office made clear Newsom 'proudly attended' the annual fundraiser for the UCSF Cancer 'in honor of his mother who died of breast cancer' at age 55. Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post's signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between. Subscribe here! PlumpJack Foundation is focused on cancer prevention and education and combating the cycle of poverty, according to its website. Newsom co-founded Odette Estate Winery with two other business partners more than a decade ago. Newsom, a possible contender to run for president in 2028, has faced past criticism for being out of touch, including in November 2020 when he was caught attending a swanky dinner party for 12 even as he encouraged California residents not to socialize because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A photo snapped at the time showed him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, unmasked around the same time he pushed for state guidelines meant to suppress the spread of the disease. 4 A source indicated that Newsom was at the fundraiser for around 90 minutes before troops were later sent by President Trump across the city. REUTERS Newsom apologized for the shocking display of hypocrisy as he faced a firestorm. 'While the First Partner and I followed the restaurant's health protocols and took safety precautions, I should have modeled better behavior and not joined the dinner,' he said in a statement. Newsom and Trump have been battling in court over the commander in chief's authority to control National Guard troops he sent to the liberal West Coast city. Newsom claimed the deployment wasted resources and raised the temperature while Trump insisted he had to take the action to restore order.
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
JD Vance boasts Trump will call in National Guard to quell riots ‘again if he has to' following appeals court victory
President Trump will not hesitate to send in the National Guard 'again' after an appeals court ruled the commander in chief can maintain control of thousands of troops he deployed to the City of Angeles in response to anti-ICE riots, Vice President JD Vance declared Friday. 'If you enforce your own laws and if you protect federal law enforcement, we're not going to send in the National Guard — because it's unnecessary,' Vance said during remarks outside a federal building in Los Angeles. 'But if you let violent rioters burn great American cities to the ground, then of course we're going to send federal law enforcement in to protect people.' 3 Vice President JD Vance visited Los Angeles on Friday, a city that has become the epicenter of anti-ICE riots in response to President Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. The Sun 'The president's going to do it again if he has to, but hopefully it won't be necessary,' the vice president warned. Vance noted that the 'rioting has gotten a lot better' since Trump dispatched active-duty service members to LA, but he warned that local officials are 'worried that it's going to flare back up.' Los Angeles has become the epicenter of anti-ICE riots in response to Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. Trump deployed troops to the City of Angeles to tamp down clashes between rioters and federal authorities seeking out criminal illegal migrants. The vice president toured a multi-agency federal joint operations center and an FBI mobile command center currently being used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials during his trip to Los Angeles. Vance was briefed by leaders of the 14 different agencies — including ICE, Department of Defense, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Homeland Security, Los Angeles Police Department and California Highway Patrol — using the operations center to coordinate immigration enforcement actions in LA. 3 Vance told reporters outside a Los Angeles federal building that, 'If you enforce your own laws and if you protect federal law enforcement, we're not going to send in the National Guard — because it's unnecessary.' The veep also met with some of the 200 active-duty Marines deployed to the city and tasked with protecting federal property and federal personnel. They will be joined by an additional 500 Marines and 2,000 more Guardsmen, on top of the 2,000 National Guard troops already active in the city. US District Court Judge Charles Breyer had previously ruled that Trump likely exceeded his constitutional authority by dispatching the soldiers despite opposition from California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom — marking the first deployment of a state National Guard by the president without the governor's permission since 1965. The San Francisco-based Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals, however, suggested in its ruling that Trump lawfully exercised his statutory authority in taking federal control of the guard, as the violence and chaos in Los Angeles warranted the administration's decision to do so. 3 Vance also said the rioting has calmed down a bit since President Trump sent the National Guard into the area. The Sun Trump called the decision a 'BIG WIN' in a post on Truth Social. The president has previously suggested that Los Angeles would be 'burning to the ground' if he hadn't sent in the Marines and National Guard to quell the anti-ICE riots. ICE has continued carrying out enforcement operations in LA despite the protests. During his brief remarks, Vance said that he wished Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) — who was thrown out of a Department of Homeland Security press conference last week and handcuffed after interrupting Secretary Kristi Noem — had been present, but he mixed up the senator's name. 'I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question, but unfortunately, I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn't the theater — and that's all it is.'
