BANGKOK — Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will neither step down nor dissolve Parliament, a senior Pheu Thai Party official announced on Friday, despite mounting political pressure following a diplomatic controversy and coalition fallout.
Tourism Minister Sorawong Thienthong, a key figure in the ruling Pheu Thai Party, made the announcement via Facebook, asserting that Prime Minister Paetongtarn remains committed to leading the country through its current challenges.
“She has made it clear that she will stay in office and continue fulfilling her responsibilities to address the nation’s crises to the best of her ability,” Thienthong wrote. “The government will neither resign nor dissolve Parliament.”
The Prime Minister, daughter of controversial former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, has come under heavy criticism after a leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former Prime Minister Hun Sen surfaced. In the recording, she was heard making disparaging remarks about a top Thai military official and appeared overly deferential to Hun Sen—fueling public outrage and accusations of compromising national dignity.
The political fallout intensified on June 18 when the Bhumjaithai Party, the second-largest partner in the ruling coalition, exited the alliance, directly citing the controversial phone call. Another coalition member, the United Thai Nation Party, is reportedly considering demanding Paetongtarn’s resignation in exchange for continued support of the fragile government.
While the Prime Minister has issued an apology for the call, she has yet to publicly address the growing crisis. Meanwhile, opposition groups and activist networks are planning a major protest in Bangkok on June 28, calling for her immediate resignation. Several of these groups have previously played pivotal roles in anti-Shinawatra movements.
The political standoff threatens to plunge Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy into deeper uncertainty, as pressure mounts on the young Prime Minister to either regain control of the narrative or step aside.