Thai prime minister dismissed over call to Cambodian leader

Thailand's constitutional court has dismissed Paetongtarn Shinawatra from her position as prime minister, ruling that as the country's leader she violated ethical rules during a phone call with Cambodia's senate president, Hun Sen.

- Rebecca Ratcliffe

The ruling, which threatens to usher in a fresh period of instability in the country, means she immediately loses her job, which she held for about a year. Paetongtarn, 39, was suspended from her duties on 1 July after a recording was leaked of the conversation, in which they discussed a simmering border dispute between the neighboring countries.

Critics accused her of failing to protect Thailand's interests during the call, in which she addressed Hun Sen as "uncle", and told him that if there were anything he wanted, she would "take care of it". She also made critical remarks about a senior Thai military commander.

The court said Paetongtarn had put her private interests before those of the nation and damaged the reputation of the country. "Due to a personal relationship that appeared aligned with Cambodia, the respondent was consistently willing to comply with or act in accordance with the wishes of the Cambodian side," the court said in a statement.