The backlash was swift, with the public expressing outrage over the implications of the call. Paetongtarn extended an apology but defended her remarks as a strategy employed in negotiations. Prior to her visit to areas affected by recent flooding, she remarked on the people's right to peaceful protest, acknowledging public sentiment that calls for her resignation are legitimate.
Saturday’s protest emerged as one of the largest against the ruling Pheu Thai party since it took control in 2023, as attendees braved heavy monsoon rain and displayed banners proclaiming “PM is enemy of state” while chanting for Shinawatra to step aside. Protest leader Parnthep Pourpongpan voiced the collective discontent, asserting the Prime Minister embodies a significant issue for the nation.
Seventy-year-old Seri Sawangmue travelled overnight from northern Thailand to join the demonstration, stating his commitment to defending Thailand’s sovereignty and deeming the PM unfit for leadership. Paetongtarn, 38, is the daughter of former deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who returned to Thailand in August after a long exile. This rally underscores a long-standing history of demonstrations against Shinawatra-led governments over the past two decades.
Organizers conveyed in a statement that the current executive and parliamentary bodies are failing to uphold democracy and the constitutional monarchy. Protesters wielded umbrellas to shield against the rain, which eventually cleared to reveal a rainbow over the Victory Monument as a symbol of hope.
The situation continues to unfold, with the Constitutional Court set to address a petition submitted by senators seeking Paetongtarn's ouster for alleged misconduct arising from the leaked call. In the wake of tensions, both Thailand and Cambodia imposed restrictions on each other, deepening longstanding frictions tied to historical border disputes. Despite these tensions, familial ties remain, as Hun Sen and Thaksin Shinawatra share a longstanding relationship, referred to as "godbrothers."
Saturday’s protest emerged as one of the largest against the ruling Pheu Thai party since it took control in 2023, as attendees braved heavy monsoon rain and displayed banners proclaiming “PM is enemy of state” while chanting for Shinawatra to step aside. Protest leader Parnthep Pourpongpan voiced the collective discontent, asserting the Prime Minister embodies a significant issue for the nation.
Seventy-year-old Seri Sawangmue travelled overnight from northern Thailand to join the demonstration, stating his commitment to defending Thailand’s sovereignty and deeming the PM unfit for leadership. Paetongtarn, 38, is the daughter of former deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who returned to Thailand in August after a long exile. This rally underscores a long-standing history of demonstrations against Shinawatra-led governments over the past two decades.
Organizers conveyed in a statement that the current executive and parliamentary bodies are failing to uphold democracy and the constitutional monarchy. Protesters wielded umbrellas to shield against the rain, which eventually cleared to reveal a rainbow over the Victory Monument as a symbol of hope.
The situation continues to unfold, with the Constitutional Court set to address a petition submitted by senators seeking Paetongtarn's ouster for alleged misconduct arising from the leaked call. In the wake of tensions, both Thailand and Cambodia imposed restrictions on each other, deepening longstanding frictions tied to historical border disputes. Despite these tensions, familial ties remain, as Hun Sen and Thaksin Shinawatra share a longstanding relationship, referred to as "godbrothers."
