Paetongtarn Shinawatra arrived at the Constitutional Court in Bangkok this morning with her husband, sister, and advisor Prommin Lertsuridej. She received birthday wishes from several reporters but declined to comment.
The hearing began at 10:30 a.m. and lasted about 90 minutes. Paetongtarn answered questions from judges about the leaked phone call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen in mid-June.
The Constitutional Court set up a screen outside for reporters to watch the proceedings, but issued a gag order on reporting the content of the hearing. After the hearing, Paetongtarn smiled and waved to the waiting reporters before leaving.
The court is expected to rule on whether to remove her from office on 29/8. An unfavorable ruling would make Paetongtarn the third member of the Shinawatra family to be ousted from the prime ministership, following Thaksin Shinawatra and Yingluck Shinawatra.
 |
Paetongtarn Shinawatra arrives at the Constitutional Court in Bangkok on 21/8. Photo: AFP |
Paetongtarn Shinawatra arrives at the Constitutional Court in Bangkok on 21/8. Photo: AFP
On 18/6, Hun Sen said he had spoken with Paetongtarn for about 17 minutes three days prior. He said the call was recorded for transparency and to avoid misunderstandings or misrepresentations. He shared the recording with about 80 people, but around 9 minutes were leaked by unidentified individuals.
During the call, Paetongtarn reportedly complained about declining approval ratings since tensions arose on the border with Cambodia. She addressed Hun Sen as "uncle" and urged him to ignore the "opposition" in Thailand, including General Boonsin Padklang, commander of the 2nd Army Region, which oversees the eastern border with Cambodia.
Paetongtarn later acknowledged the recording's authenticity but said it was part of a negotiation tactic and that she had no issues with the Thai military.
The incident sparked outrage in Thailand. A group of 36 senators petitioned the Supreme Court, accusing her of "serious ethical violations" and undermining national sovereignty. The Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn on 1/7 pending investigation.
Nhu Tam (AFP, Bangkok Post)
