Far East: Leaked Call Turns Border Crisis Into a Political Nightmare for Thailand’s Leader

Paetongtarn Shinawatra

It was the story that stunned the entire nation, an event that turned Thai citizens against their own prime minister. On June 17th, a snippet of what appears to be a telephone conversation between Thailand’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, and Cambodia’s President of the Senate, Hun Sen, was leaked to the public from a Cambodian media outlet. Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have escalated following the military confrontation in the Chong Bok region on May 28.

Within 24 hours of the call leaking, the situation rapidly spiraled for the Thai administration, triggering a chain of events that dealt unprecedented blows to Paetongtarn’s government in a year already marked by political turbulence.

‘Uncle, Won’t You Help This Niece Out?’

That was the sentence Thailand’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, uttered, pleading with Hun Sen, the President of Cambodia’s Senate, with personal honorifics. The full snippet of the the phone call appeared to be 17 minutes and 9 seconds which was later confirmed as a personal phone call between the two leaders by the Thai government at a press conference while the official Facebook page of Hun Sen released a statement, confirming the calls authenticity, and attached a full 17-minute call with it.

During the call, Hun Sen was heard requesting de-escalation along the border, framing the Thai military as being the culprit of the casualties after the confrontation in the Chong Bok region while easing the border tensions. Meanwhile, PM Paetongtarn was heard agreeing with Hun Sen and condemned the Commander of the battalion responsible for the border confrontation in May. The PM was also heard addressing the Commander of the 2nd Army Area, the army commander responsible for the Thai-Cambodia border, as being from the ‘opposite side’.Although it is unclear what she meant, speculations have surfaced that being on the opposite side here means being on the opposite side of the conflict of interest.

If these speculations are true, this means that the Thai PM was conveying a treasonous message to a foreign leader, an act which could get her impeached from office for unethical and unconstitutional conduct.

Despite the PM’s response regarding the leak as being ‘unprofessional’ and that she ‘took full responsibility for such conduct,’ the calls for her resignation mounted the moment the authenticity of the call was confirmed.

That, however, was not enough. By June 18th, one of the government’s core coalition parties, the Bhumjaithai Party, broke off from the coalition, departing with 69 MPs in the House of Representatives. Tensions between the ruling Pheu Thai Party (PTP) and the Bhumjaithai Party had been evident even before the leaked call, as PTP seeks to reclaim the Interior Ministry to more easily implement the sweeping reforms it promised during the campaign, without interference from the conservative-leaning Bhumjaithai.To the public, the infighting appears more like a conflict of interest, with the leaked call providing Bhumjaithai an easy escape from an impending political crisis. With their exit, the coalition is now hanging by a thread with seats barely over the 251 majority, making passage of bills and budget votes more difficult for the government.

Fumbled Politically, Weakened Diplomatically

While political drama unfolds in Bangkok, the situation at the Thailand–Cambodia border remains tense, with rising intensity and no signs of de-escalation. Along the Thai-Cambodian border, the pressure has increased on a scale that hasn't been seen in decades.

This all traced from 5:45 AM on May 28, 2025, when gunfire broke out in the Chong Bok region, a lush forest that forms a natural border between the two countries. By 5:55 AM of the same day, a ceasefire was agreed to by both countries’ commanders on the phone.

The ceasefire soon turned into a full-blown border dispute as Cambodia brought this matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on June 15th, seeking a judicial resolution for four border zones. Meanwhile, the Thai administration continues to oppose the involvement of the ICJ and has requested Cambodia’s cooperation in hosting the bilateral Joint Boundary Commission, which Cambodia constantly denies any involvement if Thailand does not re-open the borders.

Regionally, this conflict has imposed one of the most serious border crises in the ASEAN region since 2011. While it is unconfirmed what the ASEAN committee will act upon the situation, which is significantly late by now, other ASEAN nations have expressed concerns over the gravity of the situation. Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, has reached out to the leaders of both Cambodia and Thailand in his capacity as ASEAN Chair, representing Malaysia in efforts to ease tensions. Anwar has expressed readiness to assist both nations to resolve the crisis and maintain peace and stability within the region.

What Happens Next For Paetongtarn?

As of July 1st, Paetongtarn has been suspended from office by the Constitutional Court of Thailand. The court voted 7:2 in favor of the suspension from office as the court took into the question if the prime minister had violated the constitution as a direct consequence of the call she made with Samdech Hun Sen of Cambodia. 

This traced back from Paetongtarn’s method of response to the fallout after the phone call leaked to the public. Instead of choosing to resign or dissolve parliament, she chose to stay put as calls for resignation and investigation stacked up against her. One of those calls were 36 senators who filed a complaint against the court which ultimately led her to suspension.

Despite much of the public’s sentiments of wanting Paetongtarn out of office, the reaction to the court’s decision has been mixed. This is because this is the 7th time the court has either issued a suspension or an impeachment to a prime minister within the last 2 decades. To the Thai public, a forced removal by the court citing unethical conduct is widely perceived as undemocratic and authoritarian. With the increasing progressive sentiment among the Thai populace, this could strike a wrong note and turn the already severe situation into something worse. In hindsight, this marks a major turning point in Thai politics, one that is likely to send shockwaves across the region with every significant decision made from this point forward.