By Agencies
BANGKOK: Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended by the country鈥檚 Constitutional Court on Tuesday, as it opened a probe into her conduct in a diplomatic spat with Cambodia.
The kingdom鈥檚 politics have been dominated for years by a battle between the conservative, pro-military, pro-royalist elite and the Shinawatra clan, who they consider a threat to Thailand鈥檚 traditional social order.
The blow to 38-year-old Paetongtarn came on the same day that her father, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra faced a criminal court over allegations of royal defamation.
Paetongtarn took power less than a year ago but will be suspended while the Constitutional Court deliberates whether she breached ministerial ethics during the border row.
A long-standing territorial dispute with Cambodia boiled over into cross-border clashes in May, killing one Cambodian soldier.
When Paetongtarn called Cambodian ex-leader Hun Sen to discuss the tensions, she called him 鈥渦ncle鈥 and referred to a Thai military commander as her 鈥渙pponent鈥, according to a leaked recording which caused widespread backlash.
Conservative lawmakers accused her of kowtowing to Cambodia and undermining the military, and allege she breached constitutional provisions requiring 鈥渆vident integrity鈥 and 鈥渆thical standards鈥 among ministers.
鈥淭he Constitutional Court with a majority of 7-2 suspends the respondent from Prime Ministerial duty from July 1 until the Constitutional Court has made its ruling,鈥 said a statement.
鈥楥ritical dilution鈥
Paetongtarn鈥檚 Pheu Thai party has already been abandoned by a key conservative coalition partner over the scandal and thousands protested against her leadership in Bangkok over the weekend.
Thailand鈥檚 king on Tuesday approved Paetongtarn鈥檚 cabinet reshuffle after her allies quit.
She assigned herself the culture minister position and is due to take up the position on Thursday, but it is unclear if she could take up that role while under investigation by the Constitutional Court.
Separately on Tuesday, her father Thaksin arrived at a Bangkok criminal court to face accusations of breaching strict lese majesty laws used to shield Thailand鈥檚 king from criticism.
The allegations stem from a 2015 interview he gave to South Korean media and he faces up to 15 years in jail if convicted. The trial is set to last for weeks, with a verdict not expected for at least a month after that.
A court official confirmed to AFP the trial began on Tuesday morning with Thaksin in attendance but said media would not be allowed in.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 speak on his behalf about how he feels, but I think he seems chill,鈥 his lawyer Winyat Chatmontri told AFP outside court.
Thai political analyst Thitinan Pongsudhirak told AFP 鈥渢here is a direct undeniable linkage between the two cases鈥 as the brand of the Shinawatra family faces 鈥渁 critical dilution鈥.