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The Prime Minister of Thailand, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was suspended by the country's constitutional court on Tuesday pending an investigation into a leaked phone call with a senior Cambodian politician.

 

The judges voted 7 to 2 to suspend the 38-year-old prime minister after accepting a petition from 36 senators accusing her of dishonesty and a breach of ethical standards.

 

Why has Thailand's prime minister been suspended?
 

Paetongtarn has faced growing dissatisfaction over her handling of a border dispute with neighboring Cambodia, which saw a Cambodian soldier killed in a violent clash in May.

 

During a leaked June 15 phone call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen, Paetongtarn appeared to criticize an outspoken Thai army commander — considered a red line in a country where the military has significant clout.

 

Despite apologizing and insisting that her remarks were a negotiating tactic, thousands of conservative, nationalist-leaning protesters rallied in central Bangkok on Saturday to demand the prime minister's resignation.

 

"I only thought about what to do to avoid troubles, what to do to avoid armed confrontation, for the soldiers not to suffer any loss," she said. "I wouldn't be able to accept it if I said something with the other leader that could lead to negative consequences."

 

Paetongtarn first has 15 days in which to provide evidence to the constitutional court to support her defense, in which time Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit is expected to become acting prime minister.

 

"Government work doesn't stop, there is no problem," Tourism Minister and Pheu Thai Party Secretary-General Sorawong Thienthong told the Reuters news agency. "Suriya will become caretaker prime minister."

 

Thai government under pressure
 

However, the government has been left with only a wafer-thin majority after Paetongtarn's leaked call saw a key party abandon her coalition and threaten a no-confidence vote.

 

Earlier on Tuesday, King Maha Vajiralongkorn endorsed cabinet reshuffle which should have seen Paetongtarn assume the position of culture minister in addition to prime minister. But it's unclear if she will be able to be sworn into the role during her suspension.

 

She said on Monday that she would accept and follow the process but she didn't want to see her work interrupted.

 

It's not the first time that Paetongtarn has faced allegations over ethics breaches; she is currently also under investigation by Thailand's Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission in a separate case.

 

The Constitutional Court last year removed her predecessor over a breach of ethics while her father, the influential former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was deposed in a military coup in 2006.

 

Also on Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry insisted that would not comment on an "internal" Thai affair but said: "As a friendly neighbor, we hope that Thailand will maintain stability and development."

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