A leaked recording of a private call between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodia’s Senate President Hun Sen has gone viral on social media. During the call, the Thai Prime Minister admitted she is facing domestic pressure from the military, which put her in the hot seat immediately after the audio was leaked.

The recording, which lasts 9 minutes, was leaked in the morning on Wednesday (18 June) and promptly went viral on social media in both Cambodia and Thailand.

Hun Sen confirmed via his Facebook page that the leaked audio was authentic but did not mention how it was leaked. He said the phone conversation took place on 15 June and lasted 17 minutes and 6 seconds. He also noted that it was necessary to record the conversation for the sake of transparency.

Hun Sen remarked that he has shared the audio with approximately 80 individuals, including members of the party’s standing committee, Senate working groups, National Assembly teams, the foreign affairs task force, education and outreach units, border affairs groups, and members of the armed forces.

“A few hours after our conversation, the Thai leader publicly accused the Cambodian leadership of conducting “unprofessional” politics and engaging in political activity via Facebook, an action that contradicts their words,” said Hun Sen.

He also added that he has already prepared to release the entire audio, saying that “If the Thai side wishes to have the full recording, I am prepared to release the 17-minute and 6-second audio in its entirety”.

The conversation discussed ways to ease tensions at the border. However, Paetongtarn mentioned the domestic pressure she is facing from the military, saying the 2^nd Army Region is the opponent of the government. She said she did not want Hun Sen to listen to them. Many viewed that this reference could probably put her in the hot seat.

Paetongtarn held a press conference in the afternoon to address the recording. She said that the clip was authentic, but that it was a private call and should not have been released. In addition, the fact that she referred to the military was merely a negotiating tactic, as she realised that Hun Sen was dissatisfied with the 2^ndArmy Region. She reiterated that the Thai government desires peace.

The PM also said that it is obvious that Hun Sen needs domestic popularity while ignoring international relations. She remarked that there will be no more private conversations due to the trust issue.

Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang, Commander of the 2nd Army Region, revealed that he has already discussed the issue with the PM, saying that he understood and had no issue about the leaked audio that referred to the 2nd Army Region.

The leaked phone call put Paetongtarn under fire as netizens began calling her a traitor and showing their support for the military. Some comments on a YouTube video of the leaked recording said Paetongtarn is an enemy of the nation and called for a military coup. On the Thai government’s live broadcast of Paetongtarn’s press conference, netizens were telling her not to make excuses and demanding that she resign. Some also said that she was too naive.

Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, academic and former MP and Secretary-General of the Future Forward Party, wrote on his Facebook page that parliament should be dissolved. Considering the leaked phone call, the reported conflict between the Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai parties over seats in the Cabinet, and Pheu Thai’s perceived failure to implement policies, he said that Paetongtarn should dissolve parliament so that the people can again decide who they want for a government and as a way of resolving the current political crisis so that there would not be any reason for a coup.

Thailand and Cambodia are again in a border dispute following the 28 May clash between Thai and Cambodian soldiers in an undemarcated area near Chong Bok, a border pass in Ubon Ratchathani, which resulted in the death of one Cambodian soldier. Cambodia has reportedly gone to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) with a petition about 4 disputed areas, while Thailand has insisted that it rejects the ICJ’s jurisdiction and will resolve the issues through bilateral negotiations. However, the two countries did not discuss these disputed areas at the Joint Boundary Commission meeting on 14 - 15 June.