On Tuesday Thailand’s Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office, pending an enquiry into a leaked phone call between her and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. In the conversation, she referred to Hun Sen as “uncle” and made derogatory remarks about a top Thai army commander, words which in the context of heightened tensions in the Emerald Triangle border area between the two countries triggered mass protests in Thailand and the exit of the Bhumjaithai Party, her governing coalition’s second-largest member.
This could bring to a premature end Ms Paetongtarn’s short-lived political career – she only became prime minister last August. But the bigger question is: does this herald the beginning of the end for the whole Shinawatra dynasty?
For the last 25 years, the family, headed by Thaksin Shinawatra, who was prime minister from 2001 to 2006, has almost completely dominated electoral politics in the country. He was ousted in a coup backed by Thailand’s powerful army, and his sister Yingluck was also forced from office in 2014 after three years as prime minister.
But time after time, when elections were held, Thaksin-backed parties kept on winning. In 2023, Mr Thaksin returned from self-imposed exile, on the same day a new government led by his supporters’ party, Pheu Thai, was formed. Since the new coalition included parties aligned with the royalist-military establishment previously deeply opposed to Mr Thaksin – whose critics have accused him of irresponsible populism and corruption – it seemed that an accommodation had finally been reached between the country’s two most important blocs.
On his arrival in Thailand, Mr Thaksin was arrested and taken into custody, but the convictions to which he had been sentenced in absentia were reduced days later to just one year in jail, and after spending six months in a luxury hospital he was released on parole. Appearances were satisfied. Mr Thaksin was home. And months later, his youngest daughter Paetongtarn became prime minister.
The rapprochement between Mr Thaksin’s supporters and the country’s conservative institutions may have been a shaky alliance of convenience. But it could not last after details of Ms Paetongtarn’s call with Hun Sen came out. In the conversation, which both sides have confirmed as authentic, Ms Paetongtarn referred to her country’s military as “the opposite side” and accused a general at the border of just wanting “to look cool and saying things that are not useful”. Cambodia’s longtime former prime minister, whose son Hun Manet succeeded him in 2023, has since gone further.
According to the Khmer Times, this week Hun Sen accused the Thaksins of insulting their country’s king in private conversations with him and said Ms Paetongtarn “conspiring with foreigners to denigrate one’s own military”, as he put it, was tantamount to treason.
For the last 25 years, the family headed by Thaksin Shinawatra has almost completely dominated electoral politics
Why did Hun Sen make such incendiary comments and release a full recording of the phone call, especially since he had been close to Mr Thaksin for decades? The border issue is highly sensitive – a Cambodian soldier was killed in clashes with Thai forces in May – and some speculate it was an attempt to rally patriotic sentiment around Hun Manet. The former Cambodian leader also accused the Thaksins of having a history of saying one thing to him about the border disputes and then another in public.
Either way, the damage has been done. And it’s not just Ms Paetongtarn who’s in trouble. On the same day that she was suspended from office, her father was in a Bangkok court to hear prosecution testimony over a lese-majeste charge he faces relating to an interview he gave in South Korea in 2015. Mr Thaksin may have thought this would just be a formality, given the understanding he believed had been reached with the royalist-military forces.
But as the Thai academic Pavin Chachavalpongpun wrote in a prescient analysis published on Monday: “The lese majeste case against Thaksin, or [the] Constitutional Court case against Paetongtarn, could be strategically used to neutralise their influence, putting them in jail or (more likely) letting them flee.”
In that event, could the Thaksins still make another comeback in the future? It can’t be completely ruled out, and it may be just possible that the current governing coalition holds on, as it still has a majority in Parliament. But many believe that the Thaksin coalition – low-income workers in the country’s north and north-east, plus progressive-minded urban middle classes – has been irretrievably weakened.
Pheu Thai has been outflanked by the social democratic Move Forward Party, which beat them into second place in the 2023 election, and severely disillusioned their progressive supporters by allying with the conservative forces who kept ousting Mr Thaksin and his successors from power. Younger voters don’t remember Mr Thaksin’s glory years, when he instituted universal health care and a raft of polices that helped rural voters. Paetongtarn Shinawatra is a novice who plainly owed her job solely to her surname. Her approval rating was at a meagre 9.2 per cent in March.
Mr Thaksin is still a giant of Thai politics. But he’s not the figure he once was, and he has run out of family proxies to take the country’s top job while he remains a power behind the curtain. No one would accept one of his other two – politically inexperienced – children as prime minister. And, in any case, it’s not clear they, or Pheu Thai, could command a majority in Parliament.
So, is this the end for the Shinawatra dynasty? Thai politics is too unpredictable to tell. If it is the beginning of the end, however, Thailand’s perennial problem will remain: how to square the views of the royalist-military establishment, who see themselves as guardians of the country, with populist or left-leaning parties that keep topping the polls. That’s the democratic conundrum that has been both the blessing, and the misfortune, of the Shinawatra family.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Representing%20UAE%20overseas
%3Cp%3E%0DIf%20Catherine%20Richards%20debuts%20for%20Wales%20in%20the%20Six%20Nations%2C%20she%20will%20be%20the%20latest%20to%20have%20made%20it%20from%20the%20UAE%20to%20the%20top%20tier%20of%20the%20international%20game%20in%20the%20oval%20ball%20codes.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESeren%20Gough-Walters%20(Wales%20rugby%20league)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBorn%20in%20Dubai%2C%20raised%20in%20Sharjah%2C%20and%20once%20an%20immigration%20officer%20at%20the%20British%20Embassy%20in%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20she%20debuted%20for%20Wales%20in%20rugby%20league%20in%202021.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESophie%20Shams%20(England%20sevens)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EWith%20an%20Emirati%20father%20and%20English%20mother%2C%20Shams%20excelled%20at%20rugby%20at%20school%20in%20Dubai%2C%20and%20went%20on%20to%20represent%20England%20on%20the%20sevens%20circuit.%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFiona%20Reidy%20(Ireland)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMade%20her%20Test%20rugby%20bow%20for%20Ireland%20against%20England%20in%202015%2C%20having%20played%20for%20four%20years%20in%20the%20capital%20with%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Harlequins%20previously.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Scoreline
Ireland 16 (Tries: Stockdale Cons: Sexton Pens: Sexton 3)
New Zealand 9 (Pens: Barrett 2 Drop Goal: Barrett)
57%20Seconds
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rusty%20Cundieff%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJosh%20Hutcherson%2C%20Morgan%20Freeman%2C%20Greg%20Germann%2C%20Lovie%20Simone%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
ACC%20T20%20Women%E2%80%99s%20Championship
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20fixtures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EFriday%2C%20June%2017%20v%20Oman%3Cbr%3ESaturday%2C%20June%2018%20v%20Singapore%3Cbr%3EMonday%2C%20June%2020%20v%20Malaysia%3Cbr%3EWednesday%2C%20June%2022%20v%20Qatar%3Cbr%3EFriday%2C%20June%2024%2C%20semi-final%3Cbr%3ESaturday%2C%20June%2025%2C%20final%3Cbr%3E%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20squad%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chaya%20Mughal%20(captain)%2C%20Esha%20Oza%2C%20Indhuja%20Nandakumar%2C%20Kavisha%20Kumari%2C%20Khushi%20Sharma%2C%20Lavanya%20Keny%2C%20Priyanjali%20Jain%2C%20Rithika%20Rajith%2C%20Samaira%20Dharnidharka%2C%20Sanchin%20Singh%2C%20Siya%20Gokhale%2C%20Suraksha%20Kotte%2C%20Theertha%20Satish%2C%20Vaishnave%20Mahesh%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results
1. New Zealand Daniel Meech – Fine (name of horse), Richard Gardner – Calisto, Bruce Goodin - Backatorps Danny V, Samantha McIntosh – Check In. Team total First round: 200.22; Second round: 201.75 – Penalties 12 (jump-off 40.16 seconds) Prize €64,000
2. Ireland Cameron Hanley – Aiyetoro, David Simpson – Keoki, Paul Kennedy – Cartown Danger Mouse, Shane Breen – Laith. Team total 200.25/202.84 – P 12 (jump-off 51.79 – P17) Prize €40,000
3. Italy Luca Maria Moneta – Connery, Luca Coata – Crandessa, Simone Coata – Dardonge, Natale Chiaudani – Almero. Team total 130.82/198.-4 – P20. Prize €32,000
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why It Matters Now
Alan Rushbridger, Canongate
PAKISTAN v SRI LANKA
Twenty20 International series
Thu Oct 26, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
Fri Oct 27, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
Sun Oct 29, 3rd T20I, Lahore
Tickets are available at www.q-tickets.com
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
The%20Roundup%20%3A%20No%20Way%20Out
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lee%20Sang-yong%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Don%20Lee%2C%20Lee%20Jun-hyuk%2C%20Munetaka%20Aoki%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
