Overview

• The Constitutional Court’s 29 August decision took immediate effect after a July 1 suspension, with Vice Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai serving as acting leader.
• Judges said Paetongtarn put private ties above the national interest during a 15 June call with Hun Sen about a border crisis, an audio that Hun Sen published and that included a remark deemed defamatory toward a Thai general.
• The phone call occurred as Thai and Cambodian forces fought for five days, causing dozens of deaths and about 260,000 people to flee their homes.
• The verdict weakens the Pheu Thai–led coalition after Bhumjaithai withdrew support, leaving a fragile majority while Parliament considers a successor.
• Paetongtarn accepted the decision and urged unity, marking the fifth removal of a Shinawatra-aligned premier by the court since 2008.