FX.co ★ Thai Court Suspends PM Paetongtarn Over Leaked Call

Thailand’s Constitutional Court took action on Tuesday to suspend Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from her duties after merely 10 months in office. The suspension comes as the court considers a case that could potentially lead to her removal from office. A petition from 36 senators, which accuses Shinawatra of dishonesty and ethical violations due to the leaked recording of a politically sensitive conversation with Cambodia’s former leader, Hun Sen, was accepted by the court. During the interim period of this review, Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit will act as caretaker prime minister. Meanwhile, Shinawatra will continue to serve in the cabinet as the newly appointed culture minister following a reshuffle. She has 15 days to respond to the court's proceedings. The leaked phone call has ignited domestic controversy and further destabilized her already fragile coalition, following the departure of a key party which is likely to push for a vote of no-confidence. Concurrently, various protest groups are demanding Shinawatra’s resignation, thereby escalating the political pressure on her administration.