Backs are against the wall

The recent withdrawal of the Bhumjaithai Party from the coalition government has thrust the Paetongtarn Shinawatra administration into a precarious situation.

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From a solid coalition with 332 House seats, the Pheu Thai Party-led government has suddenly become one with a slim majority. With Bhumjaithai's 69 seats gone, the government now commands just 261 votes in the 495-member House of Representatives — a majority of about 13.

This raises serious questions about the government's stability, especially since public trust continues to erode following the controversial leaked phone call between Ms Paetongtarn and Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen.

The audio, widely shared online, has Ms Paetongtarn asking Hun Sen for help to stabilise her position as PM. In return, she was heard offering him anything he wanted.

Rather than stepping down or calling an election, Ms Paetongtarn has decided to stay in power by reshuffling the cabinet among parties left in the coalition. The eight ministerial positions vacated by Bhumjaithai will be divided among the remaining coalition partners.

The move has put the government into political survival mode, and Ms Paetongtarn and her government will find it harder to stay in power, according to Olarn Thinbangtieo, deputy dean of Burapha University's political science and law faculty.

When people lose trust in the prime minister, she loses the legitimacy to stay in office. She should have shown responsibility instead of reallocating the eight posts and turning a deaf ear to public criticism, he said.