<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/thailand" rel="" target="" title="Thailand"><span>Thailand</span></a><span>'s Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office on Tuesday pending an ethics investigation over a leaked phone call with a senior </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/cambodia" rel="" target="" title="Cambodian"><span>Cambodian</span></a><span> leader.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The judges voted unanimously on Tuesday to take the petition accusing her of a breach of ethics, and voted seven to two to suspend her from duty as a prime minister.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The court gave Shinawatra 15 days to give evidence to support her case.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/east-coast-low-fears-of-bomb-cyclone-sydney-nsw-coast/058a06e0-ee22-472d-acd8-79afe1046280" target="_blank"><strong><span>'Sheer size of it': Millions warned wild storm to intensify</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Shinawatra has faced growing dissatisfaction over her handling of the latest border dispute with Cambodia, involving an armed confrontation on May 28 in which one Cambodian soldier was killed.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The leaked phone call while she engaged in diplomacy over the border dispute set off a string of complaints and public protests.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Paetongtarn was the third prime minister in her family, after her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, a telecom billionaire who has been one of Thailand's top political operators, and her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, who was the country's first female prime minister. Thaksin was ousted by a military coup in 2006 and Yingluck by a court ruling in 2014.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/court-suspends-thailands-prime-minister-paetongtarn-shinawatra-to-investigate-leaked-phone-call/1b9cdfca-c0ea-4402-b813-bf235caff4b8" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There was no immediate reaction from Paetongtarm after the court order.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/melbourne-childcare-worker-charged-with-over-70-child-sex-offences-affected-centres/f2cc2b4e-9508-4409-b3e8-5cb69e2dbd5e" target="_blank"><strong><span>Childcare worker charged with more than 70 child sex offences in Melbourne</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She said on Monday that she would accept and follow the process although she didn’t want to see her work interrupted.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It’s expected that Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungruangkit will become the acting prime minister following Shinawatra’s suspension, although there's still no official confirmation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Earlier on Tuesday, King Maha Vajiralongkorn had endorsed a cabinet reshuffle forced when a major party left Shinawatra's coalition government over the leaked phone call.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The reshuffle replaced former deputy prime minister Anutin Charvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, which had held several Cabinet positions in her government.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Shinawatra took the position of culture minister in addition to prime minister in the new cabinet.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/millions-of-aussies-are-about-to-get-a-boost-to-their-super-but-most-are-unaware/791b646f-f3ef-4b80-bc9f-71d5c26f6518" target="_blank"><strong><span>Millions of Aussies unaware of major super boost</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She said she wanted to promote Thai culture on a global scale.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It’s unclear if she can take the oath to remain in that role.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Shinawatra also faces investigations over an alleged breach of ethics by the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, whose decision could also lead to her removal.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Constitutional Court last year removed her predecessor over a breach of ethics. Thailand’s courts, especially the Constitutional Court, are viewed as a bulwark of the royalist establishment, which has used them and nominally independent agencies such as the Election Commission to cripple or sink political opponents.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Outrage over the call mostly revolved around Shinawatra’s comments toward an outspoken regional army commander and her perceived attempts to appease Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen to ease tensions at the border.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Thousands of conservative, nationalist-leaning protesters rallied in central Bangkok on Saturday to demand Shinawatra's resignation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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