Thailand has once again been thrust into political turbulence with the abrupt removal of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Her dismissal over a leaked phone call is more than a personal setback being the latest episode in a long saga of judicial interventions, contested legitimacy, and deep mistrust that have defined the country’s democratic experiment for nearly two decades. The central controversy was not about corruption or misuse of office, but about perception.

In a private conversation with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen, Ms Paetongtarn was heard using language that critics interpreted as aligning with a foreign power at a time of heightened border tensions. The court concluded that her words cast doubt on her loyalty to national interests, even though she insisted her intention was to prevent conflict and save lives. The verdict underscores how easily political careers in Thailand........

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