Thai Court to Rule on Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s Future in Office

Asia Pacific|Thai Premier Could Be Third in Her Family to Be Ousted From Office

A Thai court is expected to rule on Friday whether the recently suspended prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, can return to office, a decision that could usher in a new period of political instability in Thailand.

The verdict from the Constitutional Court in Bangkok comes nearly two months after it suspended Ms. Paetongtarn over allegations of ethics violations. The charges stem from a private phone conversation she had this year with the Cambodian leader Hun Sen, which fueled anger when it became public because it raised questions about her competence and loyalty.

Ms. Paetongtarn’s case is seen as an important test of her powerful family’s standing with the royalist-military establishment in Thailand, which is a constitutional monarchy. Her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister who has long been a foil for members of the country’s old guard, is widely thought to have made a grand bargain with them that allowed him to return to Thailand in 2023, after years in exile, and essentially avoid jail time.

On June 15, she and Mr. Hun Sen had a phone call about a tense border dispute, which later in the summer exploded into deadly clashes.