Thai politics have become more tense after a private conversation between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen was made public on June 18.
Opposition factions have called on Prime Minister Paetongtarn to resign or dissolve parliament. Some have expressed concerns about the risk of a military coup.
The coalition government led by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's Pheu Thai Party is on the brink of collapse, plunging the country into a new round of political instability amid a sluggish economy and risks from US tariffs.
The Thai Pride Party (Bhumjaithai), with 69 seats in the National Assembly - the largest partner of the Pheu Thai Party - withdrew from the coalition on June 18, citing the talks as affecting Thailand's sovereignty, territorial integrity, national interests and the military. The Thai Pride Party holds many important positions in the Thai Cabinet, including the position of Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister of the party's leader, Anutin Charnvirakul.
Bhumjaithai's loss of 69 MPs leaves Ms Paetongtarn with just enough votes to win a majority in parliament and another election is likely, just two years after the last one in May 2023.
The other two parties in the coalition, the United Thai National Party and the Democrat Party, will hold emergency meetings to discuss the situation later today (June 19).
If either party loses, the government led by Ms Paetongtarn will collapse and Thailand will face a new election or other parties will attempt to form a new coalition.
Details of the leaked chat
On June 18, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra held a press conference to confirm that the leaked recording was a phone conversation between her and Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen on June 15, with an interpreter present. The conversation lasted 17 minutes and 6 seconds.
Initially, a nine-minute conversation was leaked, but Mr Hun Sen later released the entire conversation, confirming that the recording had been shared with about 80 senior Cambodian officials. He said the conversation was recorded to ensure transparency, prevent distortion of the truth and for internal use within Cambodia. Just hours later, the Thai prime minister accused Mr Hun Sen of being “unprofessional” and conducting political activities via Facebook.
During the conversation, Ms. Paetongtarn Shinawatra caused controversy when she called Mr. Hun Sen “uncle” and addressed herself as “nephew.” She called the Commander of the Thai Army Region 2 “opposition” and asked Mr. Hun Sen to ignore the general’s statements and actions after the border clash on May 28. The Thai Prime Minister also told Mr. Hun Sen to inform her of the requests for resolution.
Pressure on Thai Prime Minister
Prime Minister Paetongtarn acknowledged the recording, calling it a private conversation, and said Cambodia's move was an attempt to create a divide between the Thai government and military.
Ms Paetongtarn insisted there was no problem between the government and the military, stressing that she always consulted with the military leadership before taking action. According to her, the dialogue was diplomatic, informal, unrelated to internal politics and completely non-confrontational with the Thai military. The Thai prime minister said she would not have any more such private conversations.
Opposition leader Nattapong Ruangpanyawut has called on Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to dissolve Parliament to show responsibility for his mishandling of the Thai-Cambodian border conflict and prevent a coup.
“If the prime minister cannot quickly restore the confidence of the Thai people, I urge her to take political responsibility under the democratic system by dissolving parliament to return power to the people and prevent developments that are not beneficial to our democracy,” said Nattapong Ruangpanyawut.
Cracks in the ruling coalition
Thailand’s government has been facing internal tensions amid speculation of a cabinet reshuffle. Ms Paetongtarn, 38, took power in August 2024 as the head of an uneasy coalition between the Pheu Thai Party and a group of pro-military conservative parties.
Rising tensions within the coalition erupted into open confrontation last week amid reports that the Pheu Thai Party was attempting to wrest control of the interior ministry from the Thai Pride Party. Shortly after Thai Pride withdrew from the coalition, Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul resigned as interior minister and said he was ready to go into opposition. In his final interview as interior minister, Anutin said he had served in the ministry for nearly two years with unity and a strict implementation of policies. Anutin said his responsibilities were over and he would resume his duties as a member of parliament after leaving office.
When it splits into opposition, the Thai Pride Party will oppose the Entertainment Bill and not support the 2026 budget.
Asked about the leak of a conversation between Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen, Anutin said members of the Thai Pride Party were unhappy about it, but he maintained a good relationship with the prime minister. According to Anutin, this is a difficult time for Paetongtarn, stressing: “There is no positive information at the moment. When faced with chaotic situations, we need time to calm down and solve problems.”
Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/doan-ghi-am-gay-chan-dong-chinh-truong-thai-lan-post1549080.html
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