TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Constitutional Court of Thailand will announce the verdict on the case seeking to remove Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office on August 29, 2025. According to the Bangkok Post, the judges will commence the session at 09:30 a.m. local time to discuss and vote on the case before announcing the verdict at 3:00 p.m.
The court scheduled the testimonies of Paetongtarn and the National Security Council on August 21, and the closing arguments on August 27. Paetongtarn has been suspended from the prime minister's duties since July 1, after the court received an ethical complaint from 36 senators.
As reported by Al Jazeera, the complaint accuses her of dishonesty and violating the ethical standards in the constitution regarding a leaked phone call with Hun Sen, the former Prime Minister of Cambodia.
Controversial Phone Call
The case stemmed from a telephone conversation on June 15 intended to ease tensions at the border of the two countries. In the audio leaked by Hun Sen, Paetongtarn is heard addressing him as "uncle" and criticizing a senior Thai army commander. Criticizing the military is considered a red line in a country where it wields considerable influence.
Paetongtarn later apologized, explaining that her statements were a negotiation tactic. "I had no intent to do it for my own interest. I only thought about how to avoid chaos, avoid fighting and avoid loss of lives," she said.
The leaked conversation triggered street protests demanding her resignation. A key party exited the coalition, thinning the government's majority, and a vote of no confidence is expected to be filed in parliament soon. Despite being suspended from the prime minister's position, Paetongtarn remains in the cabinet as the Minister of Culture after a reshuffle. Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit is currently serving as the interim head of government.
Shinawatra Family's Legal Peril
The ruling on August 29 will coincide with another legal proceeding involving her family. On August 22, the Criminal Court will rule on the lese-majeste case against her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, related to an interview with a South Korean newspaper in 2015. On September 9, Thaksin will return to court to hear the Supreme Court's verdict on his six-month stay at the Police General Hospital.
Thaksin, who returned to Thailand in August 2023, was initially sentenced to eight years in prison before receiving a royal pardon reducing it to one year. He never served time in jail and was conditionally released after six months. If the court deems that his sentence was not served properly, he could potentially be sent back to prison.
Editor’s Choice: Thai People Demand PM Shinawatra Resign Over War with Cambodia
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
