Prime Minister of Thailand Paetongtarn Shinawatra addressed the leaked recording of her phone call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen in a press conference following a weekly cabinet meeting on 24/6. "Regarding the recently leaked recording, I affirm that world leaders frequently communicate by phone. The content of the call shows I sought no personal gain and caused no harm to the country," she stated.

Paetongtarn explained the June 15 call with Hun Sen was private and should not have been released. However, the leaked content caused political upheaval in Thailand, leading to a party withdrawing from her ruling coalition and prompting a cabinet reshuffle.

A group of senators, led by Senate President Mongkol Surasajja, filed a petition with the Constitutional Court of Thailand requesting an investigation into the phone call. They accused the prime minister of serious ethical violations and called for her removal from office.

When asked to comment, Paetongtarn confirmed her team has assessed scenarios where the Constitutional Court accepts the petition and suspends her duties during the investigation. "We have comprehensively evaluated this matter. If the Court needs more information, I am ready to clarify," she said. "Of course, such private conversations should not be made public. But if necessary, I am ready to explain every detail."

Paetongtarn did not respond to questions about mounting public and political pressure for her resignation, immediately leaving the press conference area.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra (center) at Government House on 24/6 after a regular cabinet meeting. Photo: AP

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra (center) at Government House on 24/6 after a regular cabinet meeting. Photo: AP

On 24/6, the National Anti-Corruption Commission of Thailand (NACC) agreed to accept and launch an investigation based on the complaint from Senate President Mongkol Surasajja, echoing the allegations he submitted to the Constitutional Court. The investigation is expected to last about 10 days to review the accurate translation of the conversation and to interview witnesses.

In the leaked recording of the June 15 call, Paetongtarn spoke with Hun Sen, who has a long-standing relationship with the Shinawatra family, through an interpreter about a border dispute between the two countries. She criticized the commander of the Thai army's 2nd Army Area for "just wanting to look cool" and escalating tensions, suggesting the Cambodian side disregard his statements.

According to the Cambodian interpreter, Paetongtarn addressed Hun Sen as "uncle" and said, "If you need anything, just tell me, and I will take care of it."

Following the leak, she held an urgent press conference and apologized to the public for "causing public concern", but maintained her statements in the phone call were negotiation tactics to de-escalate border tensions.

Constitutional Court President Nakarin Mektrairat acknowledged concerns about Paetongtarn's phone call but did not speculate on whether the judges would agree to the investigation. The Constitutional Court judges' meeting will take place on 1/7, instead of 8/7 as originally scheduled.

According to Nakarin, the Constitutional Court is only under time pressure, needing to reach a conclusion within 15 working days, for investigations related to Article 144 of the Constitution, which prohibits misuse of the budget for personal gain. The court does not need to set a specific deadline for other cases.

If the petition is accepted, the court does not automatically suspend the prime minister. This measure depends on the judges' assessment of whether the prime minister remaining in office could cause serious consequences.

Thanh Danh (Nation, Thai PBS)