It was the leaked phone conversation that could topple the Thai government. In a call with Cambodia’s elder statesman, Hun Sen, the deferent tone struck by Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, and her disparagement of the Thai military, has put her under severe domestic pressure.
Her coalition partners have withdrawn their support, which would leave ruling party Pheu Thai without a majority in parliament. Thousands have protested, calling for the prime minister’s resignation. Paetongtarn herself has been suspended by the constitutional court while they investigate her actions.
At the centre of this political crisis, is a border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, one which has been escalating with border closure and import bans. But could geopolitical tensions be a cover for the prime minister’s rivals to remove her from power? What will this period of political uncertainty mean for Thailand, which is facing economic and demographic challenges? And will this once again end in the fall of the Shinawatra family?
00:00 Introduction
02:19 Why Thais are angry with their PM
05:35 How one phone call destabilised the Thai government
06:32 Thai-Cambodian border dispute
08:55 Who suffers most from the border conflict
12:34 What happened after Thailand’s 2023 election
14:56 A deal for power and a broken promise
18:11 Thaksin’s miscalculation
21:57 What’s next if the Thai PM is dismissed
23:44 How Thai-Cambodian ties turned sour
30:43 Relationship between the Shinawatras and the Huns
35:50 What’s next for the Thai PM
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Insight investigates and analyses topical issues that impact Asia and the rest of the world.
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