Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra slammed former Cambodian leader Hun Sen on Wednesday for leaking a recording of the June 15 call. The 17-minute private conversation, which has since been posted in full on Hun Sen’s Facebook page, should not have been recorded or shared, she said.
The Thai leader is already facing the threat of her coalition’s largest partner quitting the cabinet over a ministerial post, concerns that sent the benchmark stock index to a two-month low on Wednesday.
Paetongtarn said her “sympathetic remarks and softer tone” during the phone call with Hun Sen were part of a strategy to ease the border tension.
“It was just a negotiation technique. I was conducting myself with the purpose of maintaining peace and our sovereignty,” Paetongtarn said. “It’s clear now that his true desire is to win popularity in his country without caring about the impact on bilateral relations.”
The spectre of a fresh spell of political turmoil may unnerve foreign investors who have dumped a net US$2.3 billion of Thai stocks this year. The nation’s benchmark stock index has slumped 22 per cent this year – among the worst performers globally – largely on concerns the US threat of a 36 per cent tariff will worsen the outlook for growth and hurt company earnings.
