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Hundreds of protesters gathered in Thailand’s capital on Saturday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, part of the brewing political turmoil set off by a leaked phone call with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Paetongtarn faces growing dissatisfaction over her handling of a recent border dispute with Cambodia involving an armed confrontation May 28. One Cambodian soldier was killed in a relatively small, contested area.

The recorded phone call with Hun Sen was at the heart of the demonstration Saturday and has set off a string of investigations in Thailand that could lead to Paetongtarn’s removal.

Outrage over the call mostly revolved around Paetongtarn telling Hun Sen, the current Cambodian Senate president, not to listen to “an opponent” in Thailand. It’s believed to be a reference to the regional Thai army commander in charge of the area where the clash happened, who publicly criticized Cambodia over the border dispute.

Protesters held national flags and signs as they occupied parts of the streets around the Victory Monument in central Bangkok. At a huge stage set up at the monument, speakers expressed their love for Thailand following the intensified border dispute.

Many of the leading figures in the protest were familiar faces from a group popularly known as Yellow Shirts, whose clothing color indicates loyalty to the Thai monarchy. They are longtime foes of Paetongtarn’s father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who reportedly has a close relationship with Hun Sen.

Yellow Shirts rallies turned violent and led to military coups in 2006 and 2014, which respectively ousted the elected governments of Thaksin and Paetongtarn’s aunt, former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Hun Sen responds

Hun Sen on Saturday vowed to protect his country’s territory from foreign invaders and condemned what he called an attack by Thai forces last month.

At a 74th anniversary celebration of the foundation of his long-ruling Cambodian People’s Party, Hun Sen claimed the action by the Thai army was illegal when it engaged Cambodian forces. He said the skirmish inside Cambodian territory was a serious violation of country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, despite Cambodia’s good will in attempting to resolve the border issue.

“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. We need peace, friendship, cooperation and development the most and we have no politics and no unfriendly stance with any nation,” Hun Sen said in front of thousands of party members at the event in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.

There is a long history of territorial disputes between the countries. Thailand is still rattled by a 1962 International Court of Justice ruling that awarded Cambodia the disputed territory where the historic Preah Vihear temple stands. There were sporadic though serious clashes there in 2011. The ruling from the U.N. court was reaffirmed in 2013, when Yingluck was prime minister.

Political fracture and investigations

The scandal has broken Paetongtarn’s fragile coalition government, costing her Pheu Thai Party the loss of its biggest partner, Bhumjaithai Party. There already was a rift between Bhumjaithai and Pheu Thai Party over reports Bhumjaithai would be shuffled out of the powerful Interior Ministry.

Several Bhumjaithai leaders also are under investigation over an alleged rigging of last year’s Senate election in which many figures who are reportedly close to the party claimed a majority of seats.

The departure of Bhumjaithai left the 10-party coalition with 255 seats, just above the majority of the 500-seat house.

Paetongtarn also faces investigations by the Constitutional Court and the national anti-corruption agency. Their decisions could lead to her removal from office.

Sarote Phuengrampan, secretary-general of the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, said Wednesday that his agency is investigating Paetongtarn for a serious breach of ethics over the Hun Sen phone call. He did not give a possible timeline for a decision.

Reports said the Constitutional Court can suspend Paetongtarn from duty pending the investigation and could decide as early as next week whether it will take the case. The prime minister said Tuesday she is not worried and is ready to give evidence to support her case.

“It was clear from the phone call that I had nothing to gain from it, and I also didn’t cause any damage to the country,” she said.

The court last year removed her predecessor from Pheu Thai over a breach of ethics. Thailand’s courts, especially the Constitutional Court, are considered a bulwark of the country’s royalist establishment, which has used them and nominally independent state agencies such as the Election Commission to cripple or sink political opponents.

Protest voices

Tasana Soma, 60, a retiree from Saraburi province who attended Saturday’s rally, said the current conflict with Cambodia is a result of Thailand’s weak government.

“The prime minister must resign to take responsibility for her cluelessness. She’s utterly immature and has no leadership skills,” she said.

Tatchakorn Srisuwan, 47, a guide from Surat Thani, said he arrived in Bangkok on a morning train to demand Paetongtarn’s resignation over the leaked call.

“From a heart of a Thai person, we’ve never had a prime minister who’s so weak. We’ve never had a prime minister that’s so soft toward a country that’s smaller than us,” he said. “We don’t want to invade anyone, but we want to say that we are Thai and we want to protect Thailand’s sovereignty.”

___

Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, contributed to this report.

Hundreds of protesters have gathered in the Bangkok demanding the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra as her government faces rising anger over a border row with Cambodia.

The rally, the largest anti-government protest since her Pheu Thai party came to power in 2023, increases pressure on Paetongtarn, 38, who is battling to revive a faltering economy and keep a fragile government coalition together before a potential no confidence vote in July.

Protesters waved flags beside Victory Monument, a war memorial at a busy intersection, in a demonstration on Saturday organised by the United Force of the Land, a coalition of largely nationalist activists who have rallied against other Shinawatra-backed governments during the past two decades.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra is battling to keep a coalition together and revive a faltering economy. (AP PHOTO)

While the past protests did not directly cause the downfall of those governments, they built up pressure that led to judicial interventions and military coups in 2006 and 2014.

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The political turmoil in Thailand threatens to further damage the country’s struggling economic recovery.

Paetongtarn said on Saturday that she was not concerned about the protest and had instructed authorities to ensure the gathering was peaceful.

“It’s within people’s rights and I will not retaliate,” she said.

The prime minister, who now controls a slim majority coalition following the exit of former partner Bhumjaithai Party last week, could face a no confidence vote when parliament reconvenes next week.

Bhumjaithai Party last week withdrew its support for the government citing the risk of a loss of Thai sovereignty and integrity after a leaked phone conversation between Paetongtarn and Cambodia’s former premier Hun Sen.

Previous Thai protests have built up pressure that led to judicial interventions and military coups. (AP PHOTO)

During the call, Paetongtarn appeared to seek to appease the veteran Cambodian politician and criticised a Thai army commander, a red line in a country where the military has significant clout.

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She has apologised for her comments.

The prime minister also faces judicial scrutiny after a group of senators petitioned the Constitutional Court and a national anti-graft body with a wide remit to investigate her conduct over the leaked phone call.

Decisions from either bodies could lead to her removal.

Hun Sen, a former ally of the Shinawatras, made an unprecedented public attack on Paetongtarn and her family in an hours-long televised speech on Friday, calling for a change in government in Thailand.

The Thai foreign ministry described the speech as “extraordinary” while insisting that Thailand prefers to use diplomacy to resolve the escalating bilateral dispute.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Thailand ’s capital on Saturday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, part of the brewing political turmoil set off by a leaked phone call with former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen.

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Paetongtarn faces growing dissatisfaction over her handling of a recent border dispute with Cambodia involving an armed confrontation on May 28.

One Cambodian soldier was killed in a relatively small, contested area. The clash set off a string of investigations that could lead to her removal.

Protesters held national flags and signs as they occupied parts of the streets around the Victory Monument in central Bangkok.

Protesters gather at Bangkok’s Victory Monument demanding the resignation of Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Saturday. Photo: AP

A huge stage was set up at the foot of the monument as participants sat and listened to speakers who said they gathered to express their love of the country following the intensified border row.

JAKARTA – Protesters gathered in the Thai capital Bangkok on Saturday demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. The Paetongtarn government is facing growing anger over border disputes with Cambodia.

The biggest anti-government protest show since his party, Pheu Thai, came to power in 2023, increasing pressure on the Paetongtarn (38 years), which is struggling to revive a shaky economy and keep a fragile coalition of governments united ahead of a possible vote of distrust next month.

Reported by Reuters on Saturday, June 28, the protesters waved flags alongside the Victory Monument, a war memorial at crowded crossroads.

Demonstrations were held by the United Force of the Land, a coalition of activists most of which are nationalist in protest against other governments supported by Shinawatra over the past two decades.

Although previous protests did not directly lead to the fall of the government, the demonstration stepped up pressure that led to judicial interventions and military coups in 2006 and 2014.

The political chaos in Thailand threatens to further undermine the country’s struggling economic recovery.

Paetongtarn said he was not worried about the demonstration and had instructed the authorities to ensure the meeting was peaceful.

“That is the right of the people and I will not retaliate,” Thailand’s PM said on Saturday, June 29.

The Paetongtarn, which controlled the thin majority coalition following the exit of former Bhumjaithai Party partners last week, could face a vote of distrust as parliament convenes again next week.

The Bhumjaithai Party last week withdrew its support for the government on the grounds of the risk of losing Thai sovereignty and integrity after a leaked telephone conversation between Paetongtarn and former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen. During the phone call, Paetongtarn appeared to be trying to calm the Cambodian veteran politician and criticized a Thai army commander, the red line in the country where the military had significant influence.

The daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra has apologized for her comments.

Now Paetongtarn is also facing legal scrutiny after a group of senators petitioned the Constitutional Court and the national anti-corruption agency with broad powers to investigate its actions over the leaked phone call.

The decision of the two agencies could lead to his dismissal.

Hun Sen, a former ally of Shinawatra, made an unprecedented public statement against Paetongtarn and his family in a televised address for hours on Friday.

Hun Sen called for a change in government in Thailand.

Thailand’s foreign ministry described the speech as “extraordinary” while asserting Thailand prefers to use diplomacy to resolve an escalating bilateral dispute.

The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)

Thailand’s prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is facing mounting pressure to resign after a leaked audio recording of her phone call blaming her own military for the dispute with Cambodia set off a huge political row.

The leaked phone recording on Wednesday sparked public anger and pushed the coalition government to the brink of collapse as the second-largest party in her government quit the coalition.

A part of the 17-minute private conversation between Ms Paetongtarn and Hun Sen, the former prime minister of Cambodia and the father of the current leader, was leaked on Sunday after the Cambodian leader shared it with 80 politicians.

Mr Hun Sen then took to Facebook on Wednesday to share the whole 17-minute conversation “to avoid any misunderstanding or misrepresentation in official matters”.

During the call, Ms Paetongtarn was heard calling Mr Hun Sen “uncle” as they discussed through translators whether they should lift border restrictions imposed after the deadly clash.

She also requested him to ignore “the opposite side”, a reference she apparently made to the Thai military. She said they were trying to look “cool” by making statements that were not in the interest of anyone.

Thai nationalists hold national flags as they gather outside the Cambodian Embassy to protest over the Thai-Cambodian border dispute, in Bangkok, Thailand, 6 June 2025 (EPA)

“Tell him that actually if he wants something, he can say it and we will arrange it for him,” Ms Paetongtarn told the Thai interpreter to tell Mr Hun Sen.

Her call came after a border dispute involving an armed confrontation 28 May in a relatively small “no man’s land” both countries claim, in which one Cambodian soldier was killed.

On Thursday, dozens of nationalist protesters gathered around the Government House, raising Thai national flags and signs calling for Ms Paetongtarn to resign.

Ms Shinawatra on Thursday apologised for the phone conversation. She said the call was made from her personal phone and she did not know the conversation would be recorded and made public. She said the government was ready to support the country’s military in all ways.

Ms Paetongtarm defended her “sympathetic remarks and softer tone” during the phone call as part of a negotiation strategy to ease border tensions.

“It was just a negotiation technique. I was conducting myself with the purpose of maintaining peace and our sovereignty,” Ms Paetongtarn said. “It’s clear now that his true desire is to win popularity in his country without caring about the impact on bilateral relations.”

However, she added she would no longer engage in a private talk with Mr Hun Sen as she could not trust him.

“It’s now clear that all that he cares about is his popularity in the country, without considering impacts on relations with other countries,” she said.

Anti-government protesters gather in front of Government house demanding Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra resign in Bangkok, Thailan (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Critics and lawmakers, both in her coalition and in the opposition party in Thailand, have particularly lambasted the prime minister for referring to him as “uncle” as an effort to please Mr Hun Sen and said it made Thailand look weak.

The discussion has emerged as the latest flashpoint in the mounting discontent with Ms Paetongtarn’s administration and her powerful family. She is the youngest daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a dominant figure in Thai politics for over 20 years.

However, her subsequent apology and explanation have done little to calm public anger.

Hours after the leak, the Bhumjaithai party, the biggest partner in Ms Paetongtarn’s ruling coalition, decided to part ways with the coalition because of the leaked phone call.

Anti-government protesters gather in front of Government house demanding Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra resign in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, June 19, 2025, (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit) (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The party’s statement said the recording “posed an impact on Thailand’s sovereignty, territory, interests and the army”.

The party called for Mr Paetongtarn to take responsibility for causing Thailand to suffer a loss of national dignity, honour, and the esteem of the people and the military.”

The departure of Bhumjaithai left the 10-party coalition with 255 seats, just above the majority of the 500-seat house.

Opposition leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut of the People’s Party on Thursday called for Ms Paetongtarn to dissolve Parliament and hold a new election. He said the leaked phone call was “the last straw” that destroyed people’s faith in her administration.

The Shinawatras and Cambodia’s Hun have a longstanding friendship. Her father, Mr Thaksin and Mr Hun Sen reportedly regard each other as “godbrothers.”

Thai policemen hold shields as anti-government protesters gather in front of Government house demanding Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra resign in Bangkok (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Some senators said they will file a motion to impeach her, and several other individuals also filed complaints over the matter with law enforcement agencies.

Ms Paetongtarn’s comments for the country’s military leadership have also raised fears of a potential military coup in a country that has a long history of military rule.

Her father was ousted in a coup in 2006, and Thaksin’s sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, became prime minister in 2011 and was ousted by a military coup in 2014.

The army said in a statement Thursday that it would like the people to “maintain confidence in the Royal Thai Army’s steadfast commitment to the constitutional monarchy and its readiness to execute its constitutional mandate of protecting national sovereignty through established legal frameworks and institutional mechanisms.”