Thailand–Cambodia phone call leak

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand
Hun Sen, President of the Senate of Cambodia

On 15 June 2025, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra held a 17-minute private phone call with Cambodian Senate President and former Prime Minister Hun Sen to discuss a peaceful resolution to the 2025 Cambodian–Thai border crisis. Deputy Governor of Phnom Penh, Khleang Huot, acted as an interpreter on the call.[1]

On 18 June 2025, a 9 minute audio recording of the call was leaked.[2] Later that day, Hun Sen confirmed he had recorded the full conversation and posted it on his Facebook page.[3][4]

During the phone call, Paetongtarn referred to Hun Sen as "uncle," as Hun Sen is a longtime friend of her father, Thaksin. Paetongtarn then requested Hun Sen to "please have some sympathy for [his] niece," (เห็นใจหลานหน่อยเถอะ) and stated that "the people in Thailand are saying that I should just go be the Cambodian prime minister instead." (คนไทยไล่เราให้ไปเป็นนายกฯ ที่เขมรหมดแล้ว) She then offered to Hun Sen that she will take care of anything he needed.[5]

Paetongtarn then said that Boonsin Padklang, a Thai military commander, are saying things that are not beneficial to the nation to "look cool." She also referred to the commander as part of the "opposing side."[6]

Reaction and aftermath

The leak was received with widespread condemnation of Paetongtarn in Thailand.[7] It led to the resignation of the Bhumjaithai Party from the governing coalition, precipitating the 2025 Thai political crisis.[8]

On 23 June 2025, the Stock Exchange of Thailand index hit the lowest point in over five years,[9] at less than 1,063 points.[10]

On 1 July 2025, Paetongtarn was suspended from office by the Constitutional Court of Thailand,[11][12] over the phone leak, with a case pending of her dissmal from prime ministership.

On 7 July 2025, the proposed Entertainment Complex Bill which would have legalized casinos was scrapped, due to opposition and the political crisis created by the suspension of the Prime Minister. [13]

References

  1. ^ Who is Khliang Huot? The interpreter in the Paetongtarn-Hun Sen audio clip
  2. ^ Reporters, Online (18 June 2025). "Paetongtarn on defensive after leak of call with Hun Sen". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  3. ^ "Hun Sen admits to recording phone call with Thai PM and sharing with 80 officials". nationthailand. 18 June 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  4. ^ Saksornchai, Jintamas (19 June 2025). "Thai prime minister's leaked phone call with Cambodia's Hun Sen sparks outrage and political turmoil". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  5. ^ "Paetongtarn feels heat over leaked call". Bangkok Post. 20 June 2025. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  6. ^ Thepgumpanat, Panarat; Lach, Chantha (18 June 2025). "Leaked call between Thai PM and Cambodia 'strongman' stokes fresh tensions". Reuters. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  7. ^ "Thai PM Paetongtarn faces calls to quit after leaked phone call". www.bbc.com. 19 June 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  8. ^ "Thai govt faces political collapse after PM's leaked phone call scandal". The Straits Times. 19 June 2025. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  9. ^ Thai Stock Market Roundup March 23, 2020 set index at 23 march 2020 17.00 local time
  10. ^ Political uncertainty pummels the SET
  11. ^ Ng, Kelly (1 July 2025). "Thai prime minister suspended over leaked phone call". BBC News. Archived from the original on 1 July 2025.
  12. ^ Wongcha-um, Panu; Thepgumpanat, Panarat (1 July 2025). "Thai court suspends PM from duty pending case seeking her dismissal". Reuters. Archived from the original on 1 July 2025.
  13. ^ Thai government confirms casino bill to be withdrawn from parliamentary agenda
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