Overview

• Paetongtarn Shinawatra answered judges’ questions in a closed Constitutional Court hearing, with a reporting ban in place and the National Security Council chief also testifying.
• The case stems from a leaked June 15 call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen in which she called him “uncle” and labeled a Thai commander an “opponent,” prompting an ethics petition by senators.
• Thai-Cambodian tensions later flared into late-July border clashes that killed more than 40 people and displaced roughly 300,000 before a ceasefire took hold.
• Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai publicly defended her intentions, as a possible removal would force parliament to choose a new premier from pre-nominated candidates, leaving Pheu Thai with Chaikasem Nitisiri as its sole option.
• Separately, Thaksin Shinawatra faces a lese-majesté verdict on Friday that could carry prison time, with another court to review next month whether his prior detention satisfied his sentence, and analysts say adverse rulings could push Thailand toward an early election.