Paetongtarn testifies as Thai court weighs ouster over ethics leak

Thailand’s suspended prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, arrived at a Bangkok court on Thursday to testify in a case seeking her removal from office over an ethics breach tied to a leaked telephone conversation with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen. The Constitutional Court plans to rule next week on whether Paetongtarn should be ousted, after suspending her from duty last month. The hearing coincides with a widening political struggle rooted in the Shinawatra family’s long and contentious role in Thai politics, and comes as the country grapples with a fragile coalition, a stuttering economy and regional tensions with Cambodia.

The case centers on a June call in which Paetongtarn addressed Hun Sen as “uncle” and referred to a Thai military commander as her “opponent,” remarks that provoked a sharp backlash at home. Conservative lawmakers accused her of kowtowing to Cambodia and undermining the military, a formidable pillar of Thailand’s political order. The leak of the full clip intensified scrutiny of her conduct and led to a petition from senators arguing that she breached constitutional provisions governing “evident integrity” and ethical standards for ministers....