Leaked recording reshapes politics, border tensions

The year 2025 proved to be one of the most turbulent in Thailand's recent political history, as a leaked recording of a conversation between former prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodia's former leader Hun Sen triggered a chain of events that reshaped the government and escalated border tensions.

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On June 17, Cambodian media outlets released a 17-minute audio clip of Ms Paetongtarn conversing about border issues with Hun Sen, whom she referred to as "Uncle". In the recording, Ms Paetongtarn could be heard criticising Thailand's then-Second Army Region commander Gen Boonsin Pladklang, calling him an obstacle to negotiations.

Ms Paetongtarn came under fire for offering concessions to Cambodia in exchange for peace, as she could be heard saying, "If Uncle wants anything, just tell me."

The leak ignited a firestorm in Thailand, with critics accusing the Shinawatra family of compromising national interests. Hun Sen escalated the controversy by publicly blaming former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Ms Paetongtarn's father, for the border dispute before severing ties with him in July.