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Business Recorder
10 hours ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Embattled Thai PM faces call to step down to avert coalition revolt
BANGKOK: Thailand's embattled Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra faced the prospect of losing her government's majority on Friday, as a vital coalition partner looked set to demand her resignation and senators launched a legal bid to remove her from office. Paetongtarn, the politically inexperienced daughter of divisive tycoon and former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, is fighting fires on multiple fronts, struggling to breathe life into a stagnant economy facing steep U.S. tariffs and under pressure to take a tougher stand on a territorial row with Cambodia that has seen their troops mobilise at the border. The United Thai Nation party, the second-largest partner in her alliance, will demand Paetongtarn, 38, step down as a condition for it to remain in the Pheu Thai Party-led coalition, two UTN sources told Reuters, requesting anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to media. 'If she doesn't resign, the party would leave the government,' one source said. 'We want the party leader to tell the PM as a courtesy.' Though Paetongtarn received a boost on Friday with another coalition partner, the Democrat Party, pledging its support, Thailand's youngest premier is still in an untenable position, with her majority hinging on UTN staying in the alliance following Wednesday's exit by the larger Bhumjaithai Party. It is unclear when UTN will announce its position and a spokesperson said the party would wait for its leader to inform the prime minister of its decision. Reflecting concerns in financial markets, the Thai baht weakened for a fifth consecutive session on Friday and was on course to log its worst week in four months. Thai govt on brink after coalition partner pulls out Tumultuous past Paetongtarn's battle to stay in power demonstrates the declining strength of Pheu Thai, the populist juggernaut of the billionaire Shinawatra family that has dominated Thai elections since 2001, enduring military coups and court rulings that have toppled multiple governments and prime ministers. But Paetongtarn is facing domestic anger and the prospect of an internal revolt over Wednesday's embarrassing leak of a phone call between her and Cambodia's influential former leader Hun Sen - once seen as a Shinawatra family ally - which her critics say posed a threat to Thailand's sovereignty and integrity. During the conversation, Paetongtarn called for a peaceful resolution of the border dispute and disparaged an outspoken Thai army general who she said 'just wants to look cool', a red line in a country where the military has a high profile and significant political clout. Pressure mounted on Friday from outside her government, with 69 senators petitioning both the Constitutional Court and an anti-graft agency over the phone conversation leak, seeking a determination and an investigation, respectively, into whether Paetongtarn breached leadership moral standards. Activists also met on Friday to schedule a major protest in Bangkok starting on June 28 to demand Paetongtarn resigns, among them groups with a history of crippling rallies against Shinawatra administrations. Paetongtarn has not commented on the turmoil in her government and has tried to present a united front on the Cambodia issue, appearing on Thursday alongside military chiefs and vowing to defend sovereignty. The premier visited military units at the Cambodia border on Friday, where she handed out food packages to soldiers and was given a tour by Lieutenant General Boonsin Padklang, the regional commander whom she criticised in the leaked call. Paetongtarn's options for staying in power are limited unless her allies can succeed in behind-the-scenes horse-trading. A snap election could damage Pheu Thai and play into the hands of the progressive opposition People's Party, the largest force in parliament. Two Pheu Thai sources told Reuters the party is confident Paetongtarn can avoid resigning or dissolving parliament and her government is considering a major cabinet reshuffle to fill vacant positions.
NHK
11 hours ago
- Politics
- NHK
Thai PM faces growing calls to step down
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is under growing pressure to step down, after a phone call was leaked in which the leader appears to undermine a Thai army commander. The prime minister had been speaking last weekend with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who is currently senate president. The conversation delved into a border dispute between their countries, and Paetongtarn referred to a regional commander of the Thai army as the "opposite side." She later apologized and described her comments as a negotiation tactic. Paetongtarn on Friday met with the commander in an apparent show that the two sides have patched things up. He has said there is no issue as the prime minister had already explained what she meant in the talks with Hun Sen. But the audio clip has already triggered Bhumjaithai, the then-second largest party of her ruling coalition, to quit the alliance. Executives of the next largest United Thai Nation party, or UTN, say Paetongtarn should resign, while some of the party members oppose this. The coalition would lose majority in the lower house if UTN withdraws. The largest opposition, People's Party, demanded the prime minister take political responsibility for the leak and urged the dissolution of parliament.
New Straits Times
11 hours ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Thai PM faces call to step down to avert coalition revolt
BANGKOK: Thailand's embattled Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was facing the prospect of losing her government's majority on Friday, as a vital coalition partner looked set to demand her resignation after just 10 months in power. Paetongtarn, the politically inexperienced daughter of divisive tycoon and former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, is fighting fires on multiple fronts — struggling to breathe life into a stagnant economy facing steep US tariffs, and under pressure to take a tougher stand on a territorial row with Cambodia that has seen their troops mobilise at the border. The United Thai Nation party, the second-largest partner in her alliance, will demand Paetongtarn, 38, step down as a condition for it to remain in the Pheu Thai Party-led coalition, two UTN sources told Reuters, requesting anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. "If she doesn't resign, the party would leave the government," one source said. "We want the party leader to tell the PM as a courtesy." Though Paetongtarn received a boost on Friday with another coalition partner, the Democrat Party, pledging its support, Thailand's youngest premier is still in an untenable position, with her majority hinging on UTN staying in the alliance following Wednesday's exit by the larger Bhumjaithai Party. UTN has not said when it will announce its position. Asked about its decision, UTN spokesperson Akaradej Wongpitakroj declined to provide details. "We have to wait for the party leader to inform the prime minister first," he said. Reflecting concerns in financial markets, the Thai baht (THB=TH) weakened for a fifth consecutive session on Friday and was on course to log its worst week since late February. Tumultuous Past Paetongtarn's battle to stay in power demonstrates the declining strength of Pheu Thai, the populist juggernaut of the billionaire Shinawatra family that has dominated Thai elections since 2001, enduring military coups and court rulings that have toppled multiple governments and prime ministers. But she is now facing domestic anger and the prospect of an internal revolt over Wednesday's embarrassing leak of a phone call between her and Cambodia's influential former leader Hun Sen — once seen as a Shinawatra family ally — which her critics say posed a threat to Thailand's sovereignty and integrity. During the conversation, Paetongtarn called for a peaceful resolution of the border dispute and disparaged an outspoken Thai army general who she said "just wants to look cool" — a red line in a country where the military has a high profile and significant political clout. Political activists met on Friday to schedule a major protest in Bangkok starting on June 28 to demand Paetongtarn resign and coalition partners leave the government. Those included groups with a history of crippling rallies against Shinawatra administrations. Paetongtarn has not commented on the turmoil in her government and has tried to present a united front on the Cambodia issue, appearing on Thursday alongside military chiefs and vowing to defend sovereignty. The premier will make a morale-boosting visit to military units at the Cambodia border on Friday, where she is due to meet Lieutenant General Boonsin Padklang, the regional commander whom she criticised in the leaked call. Paetongtarn's options for staying in power are limited unless her allies can succeed in behind-the-scenes horse-trading to keep her alliance from crumbling. A snap election could damage Pheu Thai at a time of dwindling popularity and play into the hands of the progressive opposition People's Party, the largest force in parliament.
The Advertiser
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Thai PM faces call to quit to avert coalition revolt
Thailand's embattled Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra faces the prospect of losing her government's majority as a vital coalition partner looks set to demand her resignation after just 10 months in power. Paetongtarn, the politically inexperienced daughter of divisive tycoon and former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, is fighting fires on multiple fronts, struggling to breathe life into a stagnant economy facing steep US tariffs and under pressure to take a tougher stand on a territorial row with Cambodia that has seen their troops mobilise at the border. The United Thai Nation party, the second-largest partner in her alliance, will demand Paetongtarn, 38, step down as a condition for it to remain in the Pheu Thai Party-led coalition, two UTN sources told Reuters, requesting anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to media. "If she doesn't resign, the party would leave the government," one source said. "We want the party leader to tell the PM as a courtesy." Though Paetongtarn received a boost on Friday with another coalition partner, the Democrat Party, pledging its support, Thailand's youngest premier is still in an untenable position, with her majority hinging on UTN staying in the alliance following Wednesday's exit by the larger Bhumjaithai Party. UTN has not said when it will announce its position. Paetongtarn's battle to stay in power demonstrates the declining strength of Pheu Thai, the populist juggernaut of the billionaire Shinawatra family that has dominated Thai elections since 2001, enduring military coups and court rulings that have toppled multiple governments and prime ministers. But Paetongtarn faces anger and the prospect of an internal revolt over Wednesday's embarrassing leak of a phone call between her and Cambodia's influential former leader Hun Sen - once seen as a Shinawatra family ally - which her critics say posed a threat to Thailand's sovereignty and integrity. During the conversation, Paetongtarn called for a peaceful resolution of the border dispute and disparaged an outspoken Thai army general who she said "just wants to look cool", a red line in a country where the military has a high profile and significant political clout. Political activists met on Friday to schedule a major protest in Bangkok starting on June 28 to demand Paetongtarn resign and coalition partners leave the government. Paetongtarn has not commented on the turmoil in her government and has tried to present a united front on the Cambodia issue, appearing on Thursday alongside military chiefs and vowing to defend sovereignty. The premier will make a morale-boosting visit to military units at the Cambodia border on Friday, where she is due to meet Lieutenant General Boonsin Padklang, the regional commander whom she criticised in the leaked call. Paetongtarn's options for staying in power are limited unless her allies can succeed in behind-the-scenes discussions to stop her alliance crumbling. A snap election could damage Pheu Thai and play into the hands of the progressive opposition People's Party, the largest force in parliament. Thailand's embattled Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra faces the prospect of losing her government's majority as a vital coalition partner looks set to demand her resignation after just 10 months in power. Paetongtarn, the politically inexperienced daughter of divisive tycoon and former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, is fighting fires on multiple fronts, struggling to breathe life into a stagnant economy facing steep US tariffs and under pressure to take a tougher stand on a territorial row with Cambodia that has seen their troops mobilise at the border. The United Thai Nation party, the second-largest partner in her alliance, will demand Paetongtarn, 38, step down as a condition for it to remain in the Pheu Thai Party-led coalition, two UTN sources told Reuters, requesting anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to media. "If she doesn't resign, the party would leave the government," one source said. "We want the party leader to tell the PM as a courtesy." Though Paetongtarn received a boost on Friday with another coalition partner, the Democrat Party, pledging its support, Thailand's youngest premier is still in an untenable position, with her majority hinging on UTN staying in the alliance following Wednesday's exit by the larger Bhumjaithai Party. UTN has not said when it will announce its position. Paetongtarn's battle to stay in power demonstrates the declining strength of Pheu Thai, the populist juggernaut of the billionaire Shinawatra family that has dominated Thai elections since 2001, enduring military coups and court rulings that have toppled multiple governments and prime ministers. But Paetongtarn faces anger and the prospect of an internal revolt over Wednesday's embarrassing leak of a phone call between her and Cambodia's influential former leader Hun Sen - once seen as a Shinawatra family ally - which her critics say posed a threat to Thailand's sovereignty and integrity. During the conversation, Paetongtarn called for a peaceful resolution of the border dispute and disparaged an outspoken Thai army general who she said "just wants to look cool", a red line in a country where the military has a high profile and significant political clout. Political activists met on Friday to schedule a major protest in Bangkok starting on June 28 to demand Paetongtarn resign and coalition partners leave the government. Paetongtarn has not commented on the turmoil in her government and has tried to present a united front on the Cambodia issue, appearing on Thursday alongside military chiefs and vowing to defend sovereignty. The premier will make a morale-boosting visit to military units at the Cambodia border on Friday, where she is due to meet Lieutenant General Boonsin Padklang, the regional commander whom she criticised in the leaked call. Paetongtarn's options for staying in power are limited unless her allies can succeed in behind-the-scenes discussions to stop her alliance crumbling. A snap election could damage Pheu Thai and play into the hands of the progressive opposition People's Party, the largest force in parliament. Thailand's embattled Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra faces the prospect of losing her government's majority as a vital coalition partner looks set to demand her resignation after just 10 months in power. Paetongtarn, the politically inexperienced daughter of divisive tycoon and former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, is fighting fires on multiple fronts, struggling to breathe life into a stagnant economy facing steep US tariffs and under pressure to take a tougher stand on a territorial row with Cambodia that has seen their troops mobilise at the border. The United Thai Nation party, the second-largest partner in her alliance, will demand Paetongtarn, 38, step down as a condition for it to remain in the Pheu Thai Party-led coalition, two UTN sources told Reuters, requesting anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to media. "If she doesn't resign, the party would leave the government," one source said. "We want the party leader to tell the PM as a courtesy." Though Paetongtarn received a boost on Friday with another coalition partner, the Democrat Party, pledging its support, Thailand's youngest premier is still in an untenable position, with her majority hinging on UTN staying in the alliance following Wednesday's exit by the larger Bhumjaithai Party. UTN has not said when it will announce its position. Paetongtarn's battle to stay in power demonstrates the declining strength of Pheu Thai, the populist juggernaut of the billionaire Shinawatra family that has dominated Thai elections since 2001, enduring military coups and court rulings that have toppled multiple governments and prime ministers. But Paetongtarn faces anger and the prospect of an internal revolt over Wednesday's embarrassing leak of a phone call between her and Cambodia's influential former leader Hun Sen - once seen as a Shinawatra family ally - which her critics say posed a threat to Thailand's sovereignty and integrity. During the conversation, Paetongtarn called for a peaceful resolution of the border dispute and disparaged an outspoken Thai army general who she said "just wants to look cool", a red line in a country where the military has a high profile and significant political clout. Political activists met on Friday to schedule a major protest in Bangkok starting on June 28 to demand Paetongtarn resign and coalition partners leave the government. Paetongtarn has not commented on the turmoil in her government and has tried to present a united front on the Cambodia issue, appearing on Thursday alongside military chiefs and vowing to defend sovereignty. The premier will make a morale-boosting visit to military units at the Cambodia border on Friday, where she is due to meet Lieutenant General Boonsin Padklang, the regional commander whom she criticised in the leaked call. Paetongtarn's options for staying in power are limited unless her allies can succeed in behind-the-scenes discussions to stop her alliance crumbling. A snap election could damage Pheu Thai and play into the hands of the progressive opposition People's Party, the largest force in parliament. Thailand's embattled Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra faces the prospect of losing her government's majority as a vital coalition partner looks set to demand her resignation after just 10 months in power. Paetongtarn, the politically inexperienced daughter of divisive tycoon and former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, is fighting fires on multiple fronts, struggling to breathe life into a stagnant economy facing steep US tariffs and under pressure to take a tougher stand on a territorial row with Cambodia that has seen their troops mobilise at the border. The United Thai Nation party, the second-largest partner in her alliance, will demand Paetongtarn, 38, step down as a condition for it to remain in the Pheu Thai Party-led coalition, two UTN sources told Reuters, requesting anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to media. "If she doesn't resign, the party would leave the government," one source said. "We want the party leader to tell the PM as a courtesy." Though Paetongtarn received a boost on Friday with another coalition partner, the Democrat Party, pledging its support, Thailand's youngest premier is still in an untenable position, with her majority hinging on UTN staying in the alliance following Wednesday's exit by the larger Bhumjaithai Party. UTN has not said when it will announce its position. Paetongtarn's battle to stay in power demonstrates the declining strength of Pheu Thai, the populist juggernaut of the billionaire Shinawatra family that has dominated Thai elections since 2001, enduring military coups and court rulings that have toppled multiple governments and prime ministers. But Paetongtarn faces anger and the prospect of an internal revolt over Wednesday's embarrassing leak of a phone call between her and Cambodia's influential former leader Hun Sen - once seen as a Shinawatra family ally - which her critics say posed a threat to Thailand's sovereignty and integrity. During the conversation, Paetongtarn called for a peaceful resolution of the border dispute and disparaged an outspoken Thai army general who she said "just wants to look cool", a red line in a country where the military has a high profile and significant political clout. Political activists met on Friday to schedule a major protest in Bangkok starting on June 28 to demand Paetongtarn resign and coalition partners leave the government. Paetongtarn has not commented on the turmoil in her government and has tried to present a united front on the Cambodia issue, appearing on Thursday alongside military chiefs and vowing to defend sovereignty. The premier will make a morale-boosting visit to military units at the Cambodia border on Friday, where she is due to meet Lieutenant General Boonsin Padklang, the regional commander whom she criticised in the leaked call. Paetongtarn's options for staying in power are limited unless her allies can succeed in behind-the-scenes discussions to stop her alliance crumbling. A snap election could damage Pheu Thai and play into the hands of the progressive opposition People's Party, the largest force in parliament.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Thai PM meets army commander in attempt to defuse political crisis
AP image BANGKOK: Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra held make-up talks on Friday with an army commander she criticised in a leaked phone call as she struggled to defuse a crisis threatening to topple her government. The daughter of controversial billionaire ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra and in office for less than a year, Paetongtarn is facing calls to quit or announce an election as anger flares over the call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. Her main coalition partner, the conservative Bhumjaithai party, pulled out on Wednesday, saying she had insulted the country and the army and leaving her government on the point of collapse. She suffered another blow on Friday as reports emerged that another coalition partner was threatening to quit unless she stepped down as prime minister. The crisis has sent the Thai stock market plunging to a five-year low and comes as the kingdom struggles to fire up its sluggish economy, with US President Donald Trump's threatened trade tariffs looming. Paetongtarn, 38, visited troops in northeast Thailand on Friday to patch things up with Lieutenant General Boonsin Padklang after she was caught disparaging him as an "opponent" during the call with Hun Sen. Boonsin commands Thai forces along the border with Cambodia, where a long-running dispute flared into deadly clashes last month, and Paetongtarn's criticism of him drew accusations of disloyalty from right-wing nationalist critics. Paetongtarn said after their meeting that the matter was settled. "It went very well. I've spoken to the commander and there's no longer any issue," she told reporters. For his part, Boonsin said "everything is normal". Ultimatum The meeting with Boonsin followed a public apology from Paetongtarn -- at a news conference flanked by military and police chiefs -- on Thursday as pressure on her mounted. Paetongtarn was criticised as being weak and deferential in the call with Hun Sen, a veteran politician known as a wily operator, but her comments about the army commander were potentially the most damaging to her. Thailand's armed forces have long played a powerful role in the kingdom's politics and politicians are usually careful not to antagonise them. The apology and apparent reconciliation with the army commander may not be enough to save Paetongtarn's premiership. The departure of Bhumjaithai has left the government's coalition with a razor-thin majority in parliament and losing another partner would likely see it collapse. There was a glimmer of good news for Paetongtarn on Friday morning as the conservative Democrat Party pledged to stay in the coalition. However, Public broadcaster ThaiPBS reported that the United Thai Nation (UTN) party, which has 36 seats and is now the biggest party in the coalition after Pheu Thai, is considering quitting. The broadcaster said UTN was going to issue an ultimatum to Paetongtarn: either she quits as premier or they withdraw, bringing down the government. There are also suggestions of a split within UTN, but the government's majority is now so small that it could be fatal even if only half the party's MPs leave. Protest threat Paetongtarn may also be facing the prospect of street protests, as political activists involved in huge demonstrations that helped sink previous leaders linked to her family called for her to go. The activists have called for a rally in central Bangkok on Saturday and another on June 28, although it remains to be seen whether Paetongtarn will survive that long. She took office in August last year at the head of an uneasy alliance between Pheu Thai and a group of conservative, pro-military parties whose members have spent much of the past 20 years battling against her father. Thaksin, twice elected PM, was thrown out in a military coup in 2006 and the bitter tussle between the conservative, royalist establishment and the political movement he founded has dominated Thai politics throughout that time. Hun Sen, Cambodia's longtime ruler who stepped down in 2023 and had close ties with Thaksin, said on Friday that the row over the leaked call had "shattered" more than "30 years of heartfelt bonds between our two families".
