How a leaked phone call derailed the Thai PM's career - and the Shinawatra dynasty

Thailand's political scene has been shaken by the removal of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was suspended after a leaked phone call with Cambodian leader Hun Sen. In the call, Paetongtarn tried to be diplomatic about a border dispute but also criticized one of her own army commanders. Hun Sen was offended by her comments about Cambodia's use of social media and decided to release the recording, which embarrassed Paetongtarn and her party, Pheu Thai. The leak led to her coalition partner leaving the government, and soon after, Thailand's Constitutional Court voted to suspend her. This court has a history of removing prime ministers from Paetongtarn's family, and many people believe it is influenced by conservative and royalist groups. The court has also banned many political parties, including two versions of Pheu Thai and the reformist Move Forward party, which won the last election.

Paetongtarn is the daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister who is still a major figure in Thai politics. Many people think Thaksin is the real decision-maker behind the scenes. Paetongtarn tried to make changes, but her lack of experience made it hard for her to lead. Her party's main promise was to give every adult in Thailand 10,000 baht through a digital wallet, but the plan did not work and was criticized. Other ideas, like legalizing casinos and building a land bridge, also failed. The leaked phone call made things worse, especially since Thailand and Cambodia had a short war that killed more than 40 people. Nationalist feelings grew, and people started to distrust Paetongtarn's family even more.

Now, Thailand must choose a new prime minister from a short list. Pheu Thai's last candidate is Chaikasem Nitisiri, but he is not well-known and is in poor health. Another option is Anutin Charnvirakul, whose party left the coalition after the phone call scandal. The biggest group in parliament, made up of former Move Forward members, refuses to join any coalition and wants to wait for a new election. Pheu Thai does not want an election because they are afraid of losing seats. For over twenty years, Paetongtarn's family and party were very powerful, but now their popularity has dropped. It is unclear if they will ever be as strong as they once were. The country is facing a political crisis, and many people are hoping for stability and better leadership in the future.