Description: Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, has come under severe scrutiny over her controversial call with influential Cambodian President of the Senate, Hun Sen. Protests were organized by Thailand’s main ultranationalist opposition on Saturday, with thousands calling for Shinawatra’s resignation after she reportedly handed over Thailand’s pride, honor and regional standing through information disclosed in the phone call with Hun Sen. The Cambodian influential politician has disclosed that he deliberately recorded the conversation and shared it between Cambodia’s political and military echelon, however, the reasons and the motives behind his actions remained unclear. Thailand and Cambodia are engaged in one of the more serious border escalations in years and their militaries have marked an exponential military buildup in the past couple of weeks. Shinawatra faces the Cambodia border dispute with growing concerns over her political legitimacy, as she would face a no confidence vote with the Parliament’s reopening on 03 Jul and an investigation from the Constitutional Court launched by her political opponents.
Impact: Thailand’s border dispute has caused an escalating political crisis on the domestic front, threatening the country’s internal stability and stagnant economy. Hun Sen for the first time publicly disclosed that he was the one recording the phone call which could have been done for several reasons. Thailand and Cambodia are asymmetrical in their military power, with Thailand holding a substantial upper hand and while Hun Sen’s actions might have inflamed the political tensions in the country, it also caused Thailand’s most reliable asset to be negatively positioned towards the incumbent Prime Minister. The current constellation of relations indicates on prolongation of the political crisis if Shinawatra refuses to uphold the decisions brought by the Thai Constitutional Court or fails to secure a confidence vote in the parliament. The border dispute remains stagnant with Cambodia most probably awaiting the outcome of the political crisis in Thailand before engaging in their next move.