Paytontan has been suspended from exercising his duties as Thai Prime Minister and will defend himself within half a month with the Deputy Prime Minister temporarily taking over his position

According to the Thai newspaper "The Nation", the Constitutional Court of Thailand announced on July 1st that it would accept a petition to investigate whether Prime Minister Petantan had violated the constitution, and decided to suspend Petantan from exercising his powers as Prime Minister with immediate effect. According to the statement of the Constitutional Court, the 9 judges of the Constitutional Court accepted the petition with a vote of 9-0 and decided with a vote of 7-2 to suspend the exercise of Prime Minister's powers by Petongtan until a ruling is made.

On July 1st, upon learning of his suspension, Thai Prime Minister Petantan gave a speech to the media. Image source: Thai government website

According to the report, 36 lawmakers who submitted the petition accused Paytontan of being "dishonest and violating moral standards", violating the constitution, and his phone conversation with former Cambodian Prime Minister and current Senate Chairman Hun Sen was extremely inappropriate. On May 28th, Thai and Cambodian soldiers clashed briefly at the border, resulting in the death of one Cambodian soldier. The conflict between Thailand and Cambodia continues to escalate as a result. On June 18th, some media released a recording of a phone call between Petongtan and Hun Sen, in which Petongtan requested Hun Sen to ease the tension between the two countries. Hun Sen subsequently confirmed the authenticity of the call on social media and released a complete version of the call recording.

In the complete recording, Petongtan calls Hun Sen "Uncle" and requests Hun Sen's understanding of the enormous pressure faced by the Thai authorities. Petongtan also referred to a commander of the Thai army as a "madman" and an "enemy of the government". After the incident was exposed, Thai public opinion was in an uproar, with many people calling Paytontan's remarks a "betrayal of the country". Although Payton Tan insists that her statement during the call was a "negotiation strategy," it is clear that the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia has not been resolved, and Payton Tan himself has also fallen into a political crisis. Reuters cited a poll conducted in mid to late June, stating that Paytontan's approval rating has dropped from 30.9% in March to 9.2%.

On July 1st, Petongtan delivered a speech at the Prime Minister's Office regarding the suspension of his duties by the Constitutional Court that day, stating that he accepted the decision of the Constitutional Court and would prepare defense materials within the time specified by the Constitutional Court. Pei Tongtan stated that his original intention regarding the recording of the phone call was purely for the sake of the country, to safeguard national sovereignty, to protect the lives of soldiers, and to maintain national peace. I have a clear conscience about this, but the approach taken may not be accepted by some people. She will strive to prove that she has no ulterior motives and that everything she does is just to avoid chaos and conflict. Petongtan stated that he will prepare his defense materials within the 15 days stipulated by the Constitutional Court. She apologized again and stated that she will continue to work for the country during her suspension.

On the afternoon of the 1st, many people left messages on Petongtan's social media platform. This is really good news "" I am glad that the Constitutional Court is still the people's place "... Some people have expressed their agreement with the decision of the Constitutional Court, while others have left signs of" cheer "and love to express their support for Petongtan. Regarding the suspension of Thai Prime Minister Petantan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated at a regular press conference on July 1st that as a friendly neighbor, we hope Thailand can maintain stability and development.

On July 1st, the Thai National News quoted the Thai Cabinet Secretariat as saying that the Constitutional Court had formulated emergency plans before the ruling came into effect. According to the arrangement, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Suriya Zhuang Longlangji will immediately assume the position of Prime Minister, fully take over the government affairs, and represent the new cabinet to take the oath of office at the palace on July 3. On July 1st, the Thai government's Gazette website released a statement announcing the reshuffle of the cabinet by Prime Minister Petantan, involving over 10 cabinet positions, with Petantan also serving as Minister of Culture. The King of Thailand has approved a new cabinet. In addition, former Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Putan has been appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior. The ministers or deputy ministers of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Education and other departments have also been adjusted.

According to a report by the Thai newspaper "The Nation" on the 1st, a government source pointed out that this will be the first time in Thai history that a acting prime minister will lead cabinet members to complete a collective oath while the prime minister is suspended. At present, the Constitutional Court of Thailand will continue to hear relevant cases and ultimately decide whether to formally dismiss Prime Minister Petantan from his position. Analysts believe that the final ruling of the court may take several weeks.

Tong Meng David, a researcher at the Cambodia Asia Vision Research Institute, said in an interview with Global Times on the 1st that with the suspension of Thai Prime Minister Phet Thom Tan's position, his political future is full of uncertainty, and his father Thaksin Shinawatra is facing legal proceedings, which makes the situation even more complicated. According to a report by the Cambodia China Times on July 1st, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Ma Nai made a firm statement at a public event that morning, stating that "Cambodia has always been committed to resolving disputes through peaceful means and international law, and restraint does not mean concession." Hun Ma Nai emphasized that "Cambodia is fully prepared and resolutely defends its national sovereignty and every inch of its sacred territory. The country cannot be insulted, let alone violated. Yang Yi, Special Correspondent of Global Times in Thailand, and Dong Kaiying, Special Correspondent of Global Times in Cambodia