Sun Jun 29 10:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Thai PM Faces Ouster Calls Amid “Kowtowing” Scandal
**Bangkok, Thailand** – Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is facing a major political crisis as thousands of protesters took to the streets of Bangkok on Saturday demanding her resignation. The demonstrations were triggered by a leaked phone call between Shinawatra and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen, which critics say reveals the Thai leader “kowtowing” to Cambodia and compromising national interests.
The leaked recording, in which Shinawatra refers to Hun Sen as “uncle” and promises to “take care of” any requests, has ignited fury among Thai nationalists, particularly regarding the handling of a recent border dispute that resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier.
Protesters, waving Thai flags and holding signs branding Shinawatra a “traitor” and “sell out PM,” accused her of betraying the nation. Police estimate that the rally attracted over 6,000 people by Saturday afternoon, with expectations of exceeding 10,000 by the evening.
“We are united here by the force of nature to safeguard our national and territorial integrity, to protect our sovereignty and to set the country right,” declared Jade Donavanik, a legal scholar addressing the crowds.
The protest was organized by the United Force of the Land, a nationalist activist group calling for the withdrawal of all parties from Shinawatra’s coalition government. The Pheu Thai party leader is also facing legal challenges, with petitions filed accusing her of ethical violations and constitutional breaches related to the leaked phone call.
The Constitutional Court is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to decide whether to accept a case calling for Shinawatra’s dismissal and could potentially suspend her from office pending a final judgment.
Shinawatra has issued an apology for the phone call, but this has done little to quell the growing wave of criticism. The situation is further complicated by the long-standing territorial dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.
Meanwhile, Hun Sen has condemned the Thai army’s actions at the border as a serious violation of Cambodia’s sovereignty.
The crisis marks a significant challenge for Shinawatra’s government, which came to power in 2023, and echoes past political turmoil that saw her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, and aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, ousted from power. The coming days will be crucial in determining the fate of her premiership.
First Piper 