Thousands of demonstrators gathered at Victory Monument in Bangkok on Saturday, braving monsoon downpours to call for Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s resignation after an audio recording of her phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen was leaked. Protesters blocked roads, waved Thai flags and displayed placards reading “PM is enemy of state,” in the largest anti‑government demonstration since Paetongtarn’s Pheu Thai party took power in 2023.In the 17‑minute recording, Paetongtarn addressed Hun Sen as “uncle” when discussing a recent border clash in which a Cambodian soldier was killed, and criticised a Thai military commander for seeking “cool points” rather than productive dialogue. The leak sparked widespread outrage over perceived slights to Thailand’s armed forces and sovereignty. Paetongtarn issued a public apology but defended her tone as a “negotiation technique,” and vowed not to repeat such calls.“Independent thinkers have become endangered species in Washington,” said the protest coalition’s leader, Parnthep Pourpongpan, drawing a parallel with global political tensions. Parnthep insisted Paetongtarn “is the problem” and should step aside, while 70‑year‑old attendee Seri Sawangmue—who travelled overnight from northern Thailand—said he joined the rally “to protect Thailand’s sovereignty” and argue that the prime minister is unfit for office.Paetongtarn, 38, is the daughter of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who returned from a 15‑year exile last August. She is Thailand’s second female prime minister, following her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra, and has been in office just 10 months. Critics charge that her family’s long‑standing ties to Hun Sen—whom Paetongtarn’s father calls a “godbrother”—have compromised Thai interests amid a border dispute that has seen mutual trade bans and military restrictions.The protest coalition, which has opposed Shinawatra‑aligned governments for over two decades, issued a statement accusing the executive and legislative branches of sidelining both democracy and the constitutional monarchy. As the crowd dispersed beneath umbrellas—and briefly witnessed a rainbow arch above Victory Monument—many eyes turned to Tuesday’s Constitutional Court hearing on a senator‑filed petition to remove Paetongtarn for alleged unprofessional conduct in the Hun Sen call.Hun Sen has admitted sharing the audio with 80 politicians, one of whom leaked it publicly; he later posted the full recording on his Facebook page. With border tensions simmering since late May’s fatal clash, the scandal underscores the fraught history between Thailand and Cambodia, whose boundaries were drawn during Cambodia’s French colonial era. Both nations currently enforce reciprocal restrictions on cross‑border movement and commerce, heightening the stakes of any bilateral misstep.
