Analysis Hun Sen's Diplomatic Coup Leaves Thai Prime Minister Reeling

[webfact]

Picture courtesy of The Government Public Relations Department

 

Cambodia's Senate President Hun Sen has left Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in a precarious position following the release of a contentious audio recording.

 

This private phone conversation between the two leaders has resulted in a political upheaval, with investigative media outlet CSI LA revealing serious flaws in Thailand's diplomatic stance.

 

This scandal has emphasised a jarring disparity in diplomatic poise, offering a sobering lesson in political reality for the inexperienced Thai leader.

 

The leaked audio captures a conversation fraught with imbalance, as Ms Paetongtarn seeks to placate Hun Sen amid escalating border tensions. Hun Sen's cold, strategic approach contrasts sharply with Ms Paetongtarn's emotionally open and somewhat vulnerable posture.

 

His insistence for Thailand to reopen the border lacked any digression, leaving no room for private negotiations. By releasing the conversation publicly, Hun Sen eliminated any opportunity for discreet diplomacy.

 

The audio reveals Ms Paetongtarn's struggle to manage military and civilian divides within her government, as she inadvertently exposed a leadership weakness.

 

Her reliance on informal familial language, calling Hun Sen "Uncle", and admitting her administration was under pressure offered her adversary valuable diplomatic leverage.

 

Hun Sen exploited Thailand's internal political struggles, using Ms Paetongtarn as a conduit to indirectly pressurise the Thai military.

 

CSI LA noted the severe reputational damage faced by Thai leadership, as the mismatch between the two leaders' tones heightened internal divisions.

 

Foreign policy expert Panitan Wattanayagorn criticised Ms Paetongtarn's misjudgment, highlighting the breach of established diplomatic protocols. These should have included confidentiality and preparation measures before engaging in high-stakes negotiations with foreign leaders.

 

Political repercussions are already manifesting, with the Bhumjaithai Party withdrawing from Thailand's ruling coalition, potentially sowing seeds for further political instability.

 

Faced with limited options, Ms Paetongtarn has opted to remain in power while apologising publicly, a move Panitan believes may be insufficient to mend relations or uphold future diplomatic engagements with Cambodia.

 

The larger implication, as Panitan warns, is a potential push for territorial concessions along the tense Thai-Cambodian border, leaving Thailand's diplomatic future uncertain and vulnerable.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-06-20

 

 

[JoePai]

To be fair Hun Sen is a class 1 a*** hole

[ozz1]

I wouldn't trust this guy with anything

[redwood1]

Everyone lets Welcome Thailand's new leader...

 

 

[Patong2021]

Hun Sen is going to provoke the Thai military who will  save face by giving Cambodia a beat down.  The Cambodian dictator is acting as if he was still in the Khmer Rouge bullying people.

[chuang]

59 minutes ago, JoePai said:

To be fair Hun Sen is a class 1 a*** hole

What do you expect from a Khmer Rogue...

[JimHuaHin]

Let me see - Cambodia, the prime hub of Chinese criminal groups in SE Asia, the Asian capital of Chinese scam and cyber criminals.

[hotchilli]

On 6/20/2025 at 8:39 AM, webfact said:

Hun Sen's cold, strategic approach contrasts sharply with Ms Paetongtarn's emotionally open and somewhat vulnerable posture

A pretty smile with no brains doesn't cut it in politics

[spidermike007]

1. Hun Sen is a former Pol Pot officer, a serial killing super freak, a land-grabbing billionaire, and a genocidal maniac who has been posing as a democratic leader for decades, and has now installed his son in his place, like fiefdoms did centuries ago. 

 

2. The young PM is a total incompetent, who has no skills whatsoever, she never should have been installed, and is there only because her ridiculously toxic father made a deal with the army to return without consequences, whom she has now betrayed. Be gone young woman. Try to be of some use to your people. 

[paddypower]

7 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

1. Hun Sen is a former Pol Pot officer, a serial killing super freak, a land-grabbing billionaire, and a genocidal maniac who has been posing as a democratic leader for decades, and has now installed his son in his place, like fiefdoms did centuries ago. 

 

2. The young PM is a total incompetent, who has no skills whatsoever, she never should have been installed, and is there only because her ridiculously toxic father made a deal with the army to return without consequences, whom she has now betrayed. Be gone young woman. Try to be of some use to your people. 

Toxin  is losing his grip on reality. Desert sand or just the smell of money has corrupted his brain.he was a brilliant first- time PM. then his son got hooked on ''you-know-what''; so he turned to the dark side, with the war on drugs and maybe 1000-2000 dead innocents. since then, it has been a series of mistakes & corruption 

[paddypower]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

A pretty smile with no brains doesn't cut it in politics

It's not just her. It is the ''Toxin era''  a long series of mistakes and corruption. all to the detriment of Thailand  #1  the Alpine & other land scandals. #2 the corrupt sale of the nation's  satellite orbit rights to Singapore, via AIS.  #3  putting his economically (both micro and macro) incompetent sister in power, at a cost of hundreds of billions of baht. #4 as you describe her, he never should have let his cookery class graduate daughter running the show. what comes to mind is (can't remember Shakespeare's  lines - ''will nobody rid me of this menace'' because  Thailand is now a ship without a rudder, nor a competent captain. the bright side - at least we don't live in Gaza 

[Bundooman]

On 6/20/2025 at 9:10 AM, JoePai said:

To be fair Hun Sen is a class 1 a*** hole

That's absolutely true.

But he made her look like one as well!

Referring to him in a subservient manner and addressing him as 'Loung', (Uncle). is a huge misstep.

She appears unfit to manage Thailand - just like her father and Aunt.

She'll be out by the end of the month most likely.

Thailand has lost face.

That's the bottom line.

[Bundooman]

3 hours ago, paddypower said:

It's not just her. It is the ''Toxin era''  a long series of mistakes and corruption. all to the detriment of Thailand  #1  the Alpine & other land scandals. #2 the corrupt sale of the nation's  satellite orbit rights to Singapore, via AIS.  #3  putting his economically (both micro and macro) incompetent sister in power, at a cost of hundreds of billions of baht. #4 as you describe her, he never should have let his cookery class graduate daughter running the show. what comes to mind is (can't remember Shakespeare's  lines - ''will nobody rid me of this menace'' because  Thailand is now a ship without a rudder, nor a competent captain. the bright side - at least we don't live in Gaza 

You're quoting a line from the 1178, Thomas-a-Becket assassination at Canterbury Cathedral, Quote. "Will no-one rid me of this meddlesome Priest?"

I don't think Shakespeare had any thing to do with it - he wasn't born until 1564.

Other than that - Agree with everything you posted.

[thesetat]

29 minutes ago, Bundooman said:

She'll be out by the end of the month most likely.

Thailand has lost face.

That's the bottom line.

Unless she is pushed out kicking and screaming, I think she will pull the same stunt as Shinawatra. Using her ideals of staying in office until the replacement is voted for even though she was violating laws doing so. 

Protests and courts will delay her withdrawal as PM until her daddy can replace her with someone else he can control. 

A military takeover may save the country from rioting and protests and get her out sooner. But I am unsure as yet it the military will follow through with any such action. Prayut is too old and feeble now to do it again. 

Given the nature of what is happening, I am most sure there are several Thais rubbing their hands together plotting the PMs demise. 

Thaksin has already claimed he will not allow his daughter to quit as PM until they pass a huge budget in late August. So lets see what happens before then. 

 

All in all though with how this began. The temple was given over so Thailand really has no rights to claim it is theirs. Thailand began this problem so I do not blame Hun Sen for showing what a nincomput the Thai PM really is in regards to policies and politics or managing people. Perhaps that is why he recorded the talk and sent the recording out to be published. 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, paddypower said:

It's not just her. It is the ''Toxin era''  a long series of mistakes and corruption. all to the detriment of Thailand  #1  the Alpine & other land scandals. #2 the corrupt sale of the nation's  satellite orbit rights to Singapore, via AIS.  #3  putting his economically (both micro and macro) incompetent sister in power, at a cost of hundreds of billions of baht. #4 as you describe her, he never should have let his cookery class graduate daughter running the show. what comes to mind is (can't remember Shakespeare's  lines - ''will nobody rid me of this menace'' because  Thailand is now a ship without a rudder, nor a competent captain. the bright side - at least we don't live in Gaza 

Spot on..

[Peter Crow]

Wonder what Hun Sen is gaining from it. And I am pretty sure that this part of the deal is a lot more damaging to the interest of the Thai people than anything Paetongtarn may have done. 

 

Time will probably tell.