Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra Apologises After Leaked Call With Hun Sen

Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has said sorry to the public after a leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen caused a major political crisis.

The 17-minute private call, which took place earlier this week, was made using Paetongtarn’s personal phone. In the call, she blamed the Thai military for recent tension at the Cambodia–Thailand border and spoke in a friendly tone, even calling Hun Sen “uncle.” The phone conversation came just days after a deadly clash on May 28 in a disputed border area, where a Cambodian soldier was killed.

On June 18, Hun Sen released the full recording of the call on his Facebook page. He said he wanted to avoid any misunderstanding. But many people in Thailand were angry, especially nationalists. They accused the prime minister of being too soft and disrespecting the military.

The backlash grew quickly. On June 19, the Bhumjaithai Party — the biggest partner in her coalition — announced it was leaving the government. Without them, Paetongtarn’s government is now very weak and could collapse.

In a press conference on Thursday, Paetongtarn apologised. She said she did not know the call was being recorded and only used a softer tone to calm the situation. “It was just a negotiation technique,” she explained. “I was trying to protect peace and our country’s sovereignty.”

She added that her government still supports the Thai military and respects its role.

Paetongtarn also criticised Hun Sen, saying he shared the recording to make himself more popular in Cambodia. “It’s now clear he only cares about his image at home, not our relationship,” she said.

The prime minister said she will not speak with Hun Sen privately again, saying she no longer trusts him.

Now, Paetongtarn faces growing pressure to resign. Some politicians are calling for early elections. The Thai foreign ministry has also sent a protest to Cambodia over the leaked call.