It's crunch decision time for Paetongtarn

She could still quit before court rules, writes Aekarach Sattaburuth

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Less than a year into her premiership, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended from duty by the Constitutional Court over the content of leaked audio of a phone call between her and Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen.

The private conversation was leaked to the media on June 18 just as border tensions began boiling over into all-out hostility. Ms Paetongtarn could be heard making comments critical of the Second Army Region commander and repeatedly trying to appease Hun Sen with her willingness to yield to his demands.

The clip triggered fierce criticism with a group of senators led by Gen Sawat Tatsana, also chairman of the Senate’s military affairs committee, filing a petition with the court accusing the prime minister of violating the laws on political ethics and calling for her removal from office. On July 1, the court voted to suspend Ms Paetongtarn from her prime ministerial duties pending its deliberation of the case.