Monday, 25 May 2026
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra speaks during a press conference at the Government House, in Bangkok, Thailand, May 19, 2025. REUTERS
Thai PM faces coalition blow
BANGKOK – In a significant setback for Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thailand’s Bhumjaithai Party announced on Wednesday that it is withdrawing from the government, reducing the ruling coalition to a fragile majority.
Bhumjaithai, the coalition’s second-largest party with 69 seats in the House, attributed its decision to the national fallout from a leaked phone conversation between Paetongtarn and Hun Sen, Cambodia’s influential former premier. The leak comes amid a mounting border dispute between the two countries, Reuters reported.
“Bhumjaithai will join hands with the Thai people to fully support the military and authorities in protecting Thailand’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national interests,” the party declared in a statement.
Attempts to reach Paetongtarn’s government for comment on the withdrawal went unanswered.
With Bhumjaithai’s exit, Paetongtarn’s administration is left hanging by a thread, its popularity waning as it struggles to revitalize a sluggish economy and avert steep U.S. tariffs without a successful renegotiation.