Bangkok protests: Thousands rally to call for Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra to resign
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Thousands gather in Bangkok to demand resignation of Thai PM over leaked phone call scandal
Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Bangkok to demand the resignation of Thailand’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra. She has faced growing pressure over her handling of a border dispute with neighbouring Cambodia that flared in May. Her government was thrown into crisis after a phone call in which she discussed the matter with the former Cambodian leader Hun Sen was made public earlier this month. In the recording, she could be heard speaking to the senior Thai military officer and addressing Hun Sen as “uncle” The phone call infuriated the Thai nationalists, who accused her of kowtowing to Hun Sen. Many of those who gathered at the protest were associated with movements that previously rallied against her father and aunt.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Bangkok to demand the resignation of Thailand’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Discontent among the public became more significant after the Thai premier’s phone calls with a former Cambodian leader were leaked. It is important to note that Shinawatra has faced growing pressure over her handling of a border dispute with neighbouring Cambodia that flared in May.
The two neighbouring nations got involved in a new row after a Cambodian soldier was killed during a brief exchange of fire at the border. Not only this, her government was thrown into crisis after a phone call in which she discussed the matter with the former Cambodian leader Hun Sen was made public earlier this month.
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In the recording, she could be heard speaking to the senior Thai military officer and addressing Hun Sen as “uncle”. The Thai premier was also heard telling the Cambodian veteran that if there was anything he wanted, she would “take care of it.” The phone call infuriated the Thai nationalists, who accused her of kowtowing to Hun Sen.
Protesters demand Shinawatra’s resignation
On Saturday, protesters gathered and waved Thai flags, changing “Ung Ing, get out”, which is the prime minister’s nickname. Some even held signs accusing the prime minister of betraying the nation, calling her “traitor PM” and “sellout PM”.
Police estimated that 6,000 people had turned out for the protests by afternoon, but the latest estimate was that the crowd surpassed 10,000, Bangkok Post reported. This easily made the demonstrations the largest rally since the ruling Pheu Thai party came to power in 2023. “We are not gathering here to cause trouble,” said Jade Donavanik, a legal scholar who addressed crowds.
“We are united here by the force of nature to safeguard our national and territorial integrity, to protect our sovereignty and to set the country right. We shall do everything within our capabilities to protect this country and to bring peace and prosperity to the kingdom of Thailand.”
Interestingly, many of those who gathered at the protest were associated with movements that previously rallied against Paetongtarn’s father, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup, and her aunt Yingluck, who was removed from power by a court ruling followed by a coup in 2014.
United Force of the Land, the organisers of the protest, called for all parties to withdraw from Paetongtarn’s coalition. Earlier this month, a coalition partner quit, citing the controversial phone call. This leaves the Thai premier with a thin majority.
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Meanwhile, Paetongtarn is also facing judicial threats, after petitions were filed accusing her of ethical violations and breaching the constitution regarding the leaked call. Amidst the chaos, Paetongtarn has apologised for the phone call, though this has done little to halt criticism.
Protests in Bangkok: Thousands demand Thai PM Shinawatra resignation after leaked diplomatic call
Thousands protest in Bangkok calling for Thai PM to resign after leaked diplomatic phone call. 10,000 demonstrators waved Thai flags and placards reading “Evil PM, get out” Crowd was mostly senior-aged and led by veteran activists of the “Yellow Shirt” movement, which helped oust Paetongtarn’s father Thaksin in the 2000s. Her father and her father face legal battles that could reshape Thailand’s political landscape in the coming weeks. The same day her father will decide whether to take up a petition by senators seeking her removal over alleged unprofessional behaviour. She is the fourth Shinawatra-linked figure to become prime minister following her father, aunt and aunt-in-law’s ouster in 2008. The call was meant to soothe a border spat between the two nations in which she called him “uncle” and referred to a Thai military commander as her “opponent” It was leaked after a border dispute boiled over into violence last month which killed one Cambodia soldier.
Thousands of anti-government protesters rallied in the Thai capital Bangkok on Saturday, demanding Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra resign after a leaked diplomatic phone call stirred public anger.
A Cambodian elder statesman leaked a call meant to soothe a border spat between the two nations in which Paetongtarn called him “uncle” and referred to a Thai military commander as her “opponent”.
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A key party abandoned Paetongtarn’s coalition, accusing the 38-year-old dynastic premier of kowtowing to Cambodia and undermining Thailand’s military, leaving her teetering with a slim parliamentary majority.
About 10,000 demonstrators jammed roads ringing the capital’s Victory Monument, waving Thai flags and placards reading “Evil PM, get out”.
One speaker took to the stage and shouted: “PM, you committed treason!”
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The crowd was mostly senior-aged and led by veteran activists of the “Yellow Shirt” movement, which helped oust Paetongtarn’s father Thaksin in the 2000s.
One of Thaksin’s former allies, now among his harshest critics, was also a key organiser.
“I’m here to protect Thailand’s sovereignty and to say the PM is unfit,” said 70-year-old protester Seri Sawangmue, who travelled overnight by bus from the country’s north to attend.
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“After I heard the leaked call I knew I couldn’t trust her,” he told AFP. “I’ve lived through many political crises and I know where this is going. She’s willing to give up our sovereignty.”
Thailand has seen decades of clashes between the bitterly opposed “Yellow Shirts” who defend the monarchy and military, and the Thaksin-backing “Red Shirts”, considered by their opponents a threat to the traditional social order.
Jamnong Kalana, 64, said she was once a “Red Shirt” but had changed her colours and was demanding the resignation of Paetongtarn, leader of the Pheu Thai party.
“I feel full of pain when I see a fellow Thai who doesn’t love the country like I do,” she said.
Make or break court cases
Mass protests have been uncommon in Thailand since 2021, when youth-driven demonstrations calling for monarchy reform ended with many leaders convicted under the country’s strict lese-majeste laws.
Authorities said more than 1,000 police and 100 city officials had been deployed to the protest, which remained peaceful on Saturday afternoon.
The 62-year-old protester Santhiphum Iamjit was overcome with emotion.
“Our ancestors shed blood, sweat and tears for this land, but now politicians are ready to give it away for personal gain,” the former bureaucrat tearfully told AFP.
Paetongtarn was visiting Thailand’s flood-hit north but before departing Bangkok she told reporters: “It’s their right to protest, as long as it’s peaceful.”
The prime minister has been battered by controversy and abandoned by her largest backer, the Bhumjaithai Party, after her phone call with Cambodia’s ex-leader Hun Sen was leaked earlier this month.
Tensions between the countries have soared after a border dispute boiled over into violence last month which killed one Cambodia soldier.
Thailand’s military has staged a dozen coups since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932 and politicians are usually careful not to antagonise the generals.
After calling a border region military commander her “opponent”, Paetongtarn gave a contrite press conference where she issued a public apology flanked by military officials in a show of unity.
Her remaining coalition partners have not yet backed out of their pact.
But next week both Paetongtarn and her father face legal battles that could reshape Thailand’s political landscape.
On Tuesday the Constitutional Court will decide whether to take up a petition by senators seeking her removal over alleged unprofessionalism.
That same day her father is set to stand trial on royal defamation charges linked to decade-old remarks to South Korean media.
Paetongtarn took office less than a year ago after her predecessor was disqualified by a court order and her father returned from exile after 15 years.
She is the fourth Shinawatra-linked figure to become prime minister following her father, aunt and uncle-in-law.
Thousands protest in Bangkok calling for Thai PM to resign
Thousands of protesters call for resignation of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Her phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen was leaked. She apologised, but defended the call as a “negotiation technique” The Constitutional Court will decide whether to take up a petition by senators seeking her removal for alleged unprofessionalism over the Hun Sen call. The call was about a recent dispute between Cambodia and Thailand, which saw tensions increase in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a border clash. The tension between the two nations dates back more than a century, when the borders were drawn after the French occupation of Cambodia. Both have imposed border restrictions on each other, while Cambodia has banned Thai imports from food to electricity, as well as Thai television and cinema dramas. The PM has only been in office for 10 months and is the country’s second female prime minister.
In the call, which was about a recent incident on their border, she addressed Hun Sen as “uncle” and said a Thai military commander handling the dispute “just wanted to look cool and said things that are not useful”.
The call has sparked public anger and a key partner in her ruling coalition has quit. Paetongtarn apologised, but defended the call as a “negotiation technique”.
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Before leaving to visit flood-hit northern Thailand, Paetongtarn told reporters it is the people’s “right to protest, as long as it’s peaceful”.
Saturday’s rally was the largest of its kind since the ruling Pheu Thai party came to power in 2023.
Thousands braved the monsoon rain and blocked the roads at the Victory Monument war memorial in Bangkok, waving Thai flags and holding placards with slogans such as “PM is enemy of state”.
Protest leader Parnthep Pourpongpan said the prime minister “should step aside because she is the problem”.
Seri Sawangmue, 70, travelled overnight by bus from the country’s north to join the protest.
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He told AFP news agency that he was there “to protect Thailand’s sovereignty and to say the PM is unfit”.
“I’ve lived through many political crises and I know where this is going,” he added.
Paetongtarn has said she will no longer hold future calls with the former Cambodian leader, but Parnthep told Reuters that many Thai people felt she and her influential father were being manipulated by Hun Sen.
[Reuters]
Paetongtarn, 38, is the daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, the deposed former prime minister who returned to Thailand last August after 15 years in exile. She has only been in office for 10 months and is the country’s second female prime minister, with the first being her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra.
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Protesters are calling for the end of Shinawatra leadership.
The rally was organised by the United Force of the Land, a coalition of largely nationalist activists who have protested against other Shinawatra-led governments for over two decades.
In a statement read to crowds, the group said the executive branch and parliament were not working “in the interest of democracy and constitutional monarchy”.
As well as the flags and placards, people carried umbrellas to protect themselves from the rain. When it stopped, a rainbow formed over Victory Monument.
[Reuters]
On Tuesday the Constitutional Court will decide whether to take up a petition by senators seeking Paetongtarn’s removal for alleged unprofessionalism over the Hun Sen call.
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Hun Sen said he had shared the audio clip with 80 politicians and one of them leaked it. He later shared the entire 17-minute recording on his Facebook page.
The call was about a recent dispute between Cambodia and Thailand, which saw tensions increase in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a border clash, plunging ties to their lowest in more than a decade.
But the tension between the two nations dates back more than a century, when the borders were drawn after the French occupation of Cambodia.
Both have imposed border restrictions on each other, while Cambodia has banned Thai imports from food to electricity, as well as Thai television and cinema dramas.
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Despite the tensions between their countries, the Shinawatras’ friendship with the Hun family goes back decades, and Hun Sen and Paetongtarn’s father consider each other “godbrothers”.
Thai protesters urge Shinawatra to quit over border dispute – DW – 06
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra faces growing dissatisfaction over her handling of a border dispute with Cambodia. The dispute flared up on May 28 when a border skirmish broke out between the Thai and Cambodian armies. The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the area surrounding the Preah Vihear temple belonged to Cambodia. In 2013, the UN court reaffirmed its earlier ruling and the temple was the site of clashes in 2011. The protesters chanted “Ung Ing, get out,” using the prime minister’s nickname. The protest was organized by a nationalist group known as the United Force of the Land.
Thousands of protesters rallied in Bangkok on Saturday to demand the resignation of Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra over an escalating border dispute with Cambodia.
Bangkok police said around 17,000 protesters had showed up despite monsoon rains in the afternoon.
They chanted “Ung Ing, get out,” using the prime minister’s nickname.
“She should step aside because she is the problem,” said Parnthep Pourpongpan, one of the protest leaders.
Saturday’s protest was organized by a nationalist group known as the United Force of the Land. In the past, the group has rallied against previous governments led by various members of the Shinawatra family.
Thai protesters demand prime minister’s resignation To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Why do protesters want Paetongtarn Shinawatra to resign?
Paetongtarn faces growing dissatisfaction over her handling of a border dispute with Cambodia surrounding a historic Buddhist temple.
The dispute flared up on May 28 when a border skirmish broke out between the Thai and Cambodian armies. One Cambodian soldier was killed in the incident.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra prompted outrage after the audio of her phone call with Cambodia’s Hun Sen was leaked Image: Sakchai Lalit/AP/picture alliance
In the following days, a phone call between Paetongtarn and Cambodia’s former prime minister Hun Sen that was meant to ease tensions was leaked to the press.
Paetongtarn was accused ot kowtowing to the Cambodian lawmaker in the call, in which she called him “uncle” and referred to a Thai military commander in the border region as her “opponent.”
She later apologized for the comments.
Cambodia maintains claim to Preah Vihear temple
In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled that the area surrounding the Preah Vihear temple belonged to Cambodia.
The temple was the site of clashes in 2011. In 2013, the UN court reaffirmed its earlier ruling.
Hun Sen on Saturday accused the Thai army of a serious violation of Cambodia’s sovereignty in last month’s border skirmish.
“This poor Cambodia has suffered from foreign invasion, war and genocide, been surrounded and isolated and insulted in the past, but now Cambodia has risen on an equal face with other countries,” he said in a speech at the 74th anniversary celebration of the founding of his long-ruling Cambodian People’s Party.
Thailand closes border crossings to Cambodia To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Edited by: Darko Janjevic
Thousands protest in Bangkok, demand PM Shinawatra’s resignation
Protesters numbering in the thousands convened at Victory Monument in Bangkok yesterday, June 28, calling for Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s resignation. This event marked the largest anti-government protest since the Pheu Thai Party assumed power in 2023. The demonstration was spearheaded by the Ruam Palang Paendin Pokpong Athipatai (United Power of the Land to Protect Sovereignty). Police, utilising drone footage, estimated the crowd at 6,000 by 3:30pm, according to Police Major General Thawat Wongsanga. By 4pm, security personnel had confiscated seven knives and 17 box cutters, and one individual was charged with assault after opposing a search. Another person was arrested on a warrant related to violating the Computer Crime Act, as reported by Pol Maj Gen Theeradej Thamsuthee, the MPB commander.
This event marked the largest anti-government protest since the Pheu Thai Party assumed power in 2023. The demonstration was spearheaded by the Ruam Palang Paendin Pokpong Athipatai (United Power of the Land to Protect Sovereignty).
Police, utilising drone footage, estimated the crowd at 6,000 by 3.30pm, according to Police Major General Thawat Wongsanga, a deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau. It was expected that this number could exceed 10,000 by the evening.
Many participants were over 50 and had previously protested against the administrations of Paetongtarn’s father, Thaksin, and her aunt, Yingluck. Although fewer attendees wore the yellow shirts common in past protests, leaders opted for white attire, with some accessories reminiscent of the 2014 Bangkok Shutdown demonstrations.
Despite intermittent rain, which prompted some to seek shelter under the skywalk, the crowd’s enthusiasm persisted. Victory Monument saw manageable traffic, although congestion was rising, as noted by Pol Maj Gen Thawat during a 4pm briefing.
From noon, traffic from Ratchawithi Road was closed, followed by Phahon Yothin Road at 2pm, with motorists advised to use the Din Daeng expressway underpass instead.
Bangkok protest
The protest began at 9am with Thai flag-waving participants and included merit-making, speeches from group leaders, and musical performances on a stage facing Din Daeng Road. Noteworthy speakers included political activists Jatuporn Prompan, Panthep Puaponfpan, Phichit Chaimongkol, and Sondhi Limthongkul, who were scheduled to speak after a mass singing of the Thai national anthem at 6pm, symbolising unity in defending Thai sovereignty.
Political figure Warong Detkijwikrom criticised the prime minister, contrasting her with her father, whom he labelled as corrupt, while accusing Paetongtarn of selling the country to Cambodia. The demonstration was set to conclude at 9pm, with leaders assuring the police that they would not extend their stay overnight.
Police presence was significant, with officers stationed throughout the area, including skywalks crowded with onlookers and media. Over 200 CCTV cameras and drones were deployed, with Explosive Ordnance Disposal units and eight K9 dogs patrolling the scene.
By 4pm, security personnel had confiscated seven knives and 17 box cutters, and one individual was charged with assault after opposing a search. Another person was arrested on a warrant related to violating the Computer Crime Act, as reported by Pol Maj Gen Theeradej Thamsuthee, the MPB commander.
Four ambulances were on standby for any emergencies, with nearby hospitals including Police General Hospital, Phramongkutklao Hospital, and Rajavithi Hospital.
In Nakhon Ratchasima, approximately 200 people gathered at the Thao Suranari Monument in Mueang district, joining four tour buses and two vans headed to Bangkok on Saturday morning. Led by Supot Piriyakiatsakul of the People’s Patriotic Network, the group expressed a determination to seek Paetongtarn’s removal from office.
In Phitsanulok, 80 people departed in a tour bus and three vans, adorned in colourful shirts and carrying Thai-flagged items.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn, who was in Chiang Rai assessing flood damage, informed reporters she had directed security to monitor the protest situation. She acknowledged the right to protest and expressed her willingness to engage in peaceful dialogue with the demonstrators.
While previous protests did not directly lead to the fall of the Thaksin and Yingluck administrations, they contributed to judicial actions and military coups in 2006 and 2014. Paetongtarn faces scrutiny after senators petitioned the Constitutional Court and anti-graft body to investigate her conduct related to the leaked call.
The court will meet on July 1 to decide whether to accept the complaint, potentially suspending her pending a final ruling, reported Bangkok Post.