BANGKOK — Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra apologized to the Thai people on June 19 for the leaked conversation with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen, calling it a “national security threat” that requires unity, while Army Chief General Pana Klaoplaodthuk called for Thai unity and reaffirmed the military’s commitment to democracy and national sovereignty.
During protests against her outside Government House, Prime Minister Shinawatra held a press conference with Deputy PM and Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, Deputy Defense Minister General Nathapol Nakpanich, Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, Supreme Commander General Songwit Noonpakdee, Army Commander General Pana Klaoplaodthuk, and military representatives regarding the Thai-Cambodia border situation following their meeting that lasted over an hour.
PM’s Apology
“First, I must apologize to all Thai people for the leaked audio clip during conversations with the Cambodian leader, which should not have happened. I apologize to the people for the disturbance caused,” the Prime Minister said.
She stated that she had spoken with the Second Army Region, which was mentioned in the audio clip, and explained that her comments were merely a communication technique for ongoing negotiations — showing understanding to discuss details further and stop the clashes.
The PM emphasized that her conversation reflected a genuine intention to achieve peace and that she was unaware there would be recording and broadcasting. “I’ve reached understanding with the military, who listened. Today we must cooperate to unite our forces,” she said.
Border Tensions
“Today everyone, all sectors, concluded this is a threat to national security — not a small threat where government and military need to fight each other. We don’t have time to quarrel among ourselves; we must protect our sovereignty. This is what we agree on, and the government is ready to support the military in every form — whatever support the military needs,” she said.
“In making decisions across various dimensions, we must consider Thai people living in Cambodia and border residents. We must think of them and provide confidence and safety to our people.”
No One in the World Does This
The Prime Minister said the Foreign Ministry emphasized peaceful procedures through bilateral processes and summoned the Cambodian Ambassador to Thailand to submit a protest letter expressing extreme disappointment with the Cambodian leadership’s actions.
“No one in the world does this — when leaders talk, whether from major countries with agreements and negotiations, if not told beforehand about recording or official talks, contact should go through foreign ministries via proper procedures to inform about recordings. But this was a recording from private mobile phone conversations, which is unacceptable worldwide,” she said.
“For what happened, I must apologize for truly not knowing about the recording. From now on, I will be more careful about conversations. From talking with the military, I’m confident that if we unite and stand together, we can overcome this strongly together,” she concluded without taking questions from the media.
Army Chief Calls for Unity
Earlier, General Pana Klaoplaodthuk, Army Chief, addressed concerns regarding the domestic situation and called upon the Thai people to maintain confidence in the Royal Thai Army’s steadfast commitment to constitutional monarchy and its readiness to execute its constitutional mandate of protecting national sovereignty through established legal frameworks and institutional mechanisms.
The Army Chief emphasized that the paramount imperative is for “Thai people to stand united” in collectively defending national sovereignty against those who harbor ill intentions toward the Kingdom, with national interests remaining the supreme priority.
Diplomatic Protest
Meanwhile, Piyapak Sricharoen, Director-General of the Department of East Asian Affairs, summoned Cambodian Ambassador to Thailand Hun Saroeun, who is the grandson of Hun Sen, to accept a formal protest letter regarding the private conversation clip.
“The Royal Thai Government is deeply disappointed that the private telephone conversation between the Thai Prime Minister and the senior figure from Cambodia was leaked to the media. Trust and respect between two leaders are fundamental to good neighborliness and conduct among states. Such actions contradict internationally accepted practices and will severely affect ongoing efforts for both sides to resolve the problem in good faith,” the letter stated.
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