News Today: Thousands rally in Thailand capital protest over Paetongtarn Shinawatra leaked call

Thousands of protesters flooded Bangkok’s streets demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra after a leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen sparked national outrage. In the call, Paetongtarn addressed Hun Sen as “uncle” and criticised a Thai military commander for “just wanting to look cool,” comments that many say undermined national sovereignty.

Despite an apology and her defense that the remarks were a “negotiation technique,” Saturday’s rally – the largest since the Pheu Thai party returned to power in 2023 – shows mounting anger. Protesters braved monsoon rains around Bangkok’s Victory Monument, waving Thai flags and banners reading “PM is enemy of state.”

Protest leader Parnthep Pourpongpan called for Paetongtarn to step down, declaring “she is the problem.” Many fear she and her influential father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, are being manipulated by Hun Sen. 70-year-old Seri Sawangmue, who traveled overnight from northern Thailand, echoed concerns about sovereignty, saying he’s witnessed similar crises before.

Paetongtarn, Thailand’s second female prime minister and daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, has only held office for 10 months. She pledged to stop future calls with Hun Sen, but distrust remains. A Constitutional Court hearing on Tuesday will decide whether to consider her removal for alleged unprofessional conduct.

The phone call touched on border tensions reignited in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed. Historic disputes dating back to French colonial rule continue to strain relations. Both nations have responded with bans on imports, media, and border restrictions.

Despite the geopolitical rift, ties between the Shinawatra and Hun families remain close, with Thaksin and Hun Sen known as “godbrothers.”

The protest coalition, opposing Shinawatra-led governments for two decades, accuses current leaders of betraying democracy and the constitutional monarchy. As the rain cleared, a rainbow formed over the rally — a rare moment of calm in a deepening political crisis.