Thai Leader Under Fire After Leaked Call

Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is under increasing pressure to step down after a private conversation with Cambodia's former leader Hun Sen was made public. The chat, intended to ease tensions over a border dispute, was instead posted by Hun Sen on his Facebook page, sparking political uproar at home. Her remarks were seen as dismissive of the military and conciliatory toward Cambodia, the New York Times reports. In the recording, Paetongtarn refers to Hun Sen as "uncle" and suggests that military officials in Thailand are trying to look "cool" by making unhelpful statements.

She also tells Hun Sen, via an interpreter, that if he needs anything, "we will arrange it for him." These remarks have been criticized by lawmakers across the political spectrum—both allies and opposition—who are now calling for her resignation. The leak has amplified existing dissatisfaction with Paetongtarn's government and her influential family. She's the daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister who remains a divisive figure in Thai politics. Her family's friendship with the Hun family goes back decades, with Hun Sen and Thaksin Shinawatra considering themselves "godbrothers," reports the BBC.

Paetongtarn's critics, especially among conservatives, see her comments as proof that the Shinawatra family would put personal connections ahead of national interests. The 38-year-old, Thailand's youngest-ever prime minister, has only been in office for 10 months. The Bhumjaithai Party, the second-biggest party in her ruling coalition, withdrew on Wednesday, and her government could fall if another party pulls out, reports Reuters. There are also concerns that her remarks about the military could lead to a coup like the ones that ousted her father in 2006 and her aunt, former PM Yingluck Shinawatra, in 2014, the AP reports. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)