Thai court dismisses prime minister over compromising phone call with Cambodian leader

Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Friday dismissed Paetongtarn Shinawatra from her position as prime minister, ruling that as the country’s leader she violated constitutional rules on ethics in a phone call with Cambodia’s Senate President Hun Sen.

The ruling means she immediately loses her job, which she had held for about a year. Paetongtarn was suspended from her duties on July 1 when the court agreed to hear the case against her, and Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai took over her responsibilities.

The Cabinet led by Phumtham is expected to stay in place on a caretaker basis until Parliament approves a new prime minister. The caretaker Cabinet could also dissolve Parliament and call a new election.

Paetongtarn’s leaked June 15 call with Hun Sen was aimed at easing tensions over competing claims to territory along their border, but sparked outrage in Thailand because Paetongtarn seemed overly friendly in discussing a matter of national security and appeared to malign a Thai army general.