Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Caritas Thailand
Bangkok (Agenzia Fides) - "The street protests lasted one day, and now calm has returned to Bangkok. I believe that the process of replacing the Prime Minister will continue in accordance with the rule of law and the rules of democracy. The hope of the Thai people is to quickly resolve the border issues with Cambodia and return the situation to the sphere of good relations between the two nations," said Fr. Peter Piyachart Makornkhanp, parish priest in Bangkok and National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (POM) in Thailand, in an interview with Fides.
The country has been shaken by the recent ruling of the Constitutional Court suspending Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was accused of "ethical violations" in managing relations with Cambodia. The suspension, it was announced, is in effect "until the decision of the Constitutional Court," which could take several weeks or months. The court responded to a petition from 36 senators after a telephone conversation between the head of government and former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen was made public, in which Shinawatra referred to the Thai army chief as an "enemy." At a political level, the 38-year-old prime minister – daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra – was already weakened after the main party in the governing coalition, Bhumjaithai ("Thai Pride"), withdrew its support two weeks ago. A government reshuffle followed. Recently, the territorial dispute with Cambodia resurfaced, leading to cross-border clashes in which a Cambodian soldier was killed (see Fides, 24/6/2025). The Prime Minister is now accused of weakening the army and violating constitutional provisions requiring "integrity" and "ethical standards." Fr. Piyachart Makornkhanp told Fides: "In relations between Thailand and Cambodia, very old mutual prejudices sometimes surface. But in the lives and minds of ordinary people, there are no problems today; good relations are maintained, generating strong economic and social ties, especially in the border areas. Some of the hostilities are about the relationship between some political leaders, not about the people." The National Director further reports that "at the ecclesial level, there are excellent relations and fruitful pastoral cooperation between the Churches of Cambodia and Thailand: we currently have several Thai priests and religious living and working in Cambodia. We hope that tensions will subside and the situation will normalize with the reopening of the borders." The Bangkok priest also points out that "many Thai people and organizations, including Caritas, are doing their best to care for the Cambodians stranded in Thailand as displaced persons and unable to return to Cambodia due to the border closure. This is a very beautiful sign of solidarity that expresses the essence of the relationship between the two peoples," he concludes. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 1/7/2025)
