A leaked audio clip of a phone call between Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodia's Senate President Hun Sen has put the Thai premier in a very vulnerable position.
In the clip, which was publicly released by Hun Sen, Ms Paetongtarn refers to Second Region Army Commander Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang -- who is busy defending the Thai-Cambodian border while the two nations are locked in conflict -- as "the opposition".
During the call that is believed to have been made on June 15, she also promised to do her best to cater to "whatever Cambodia wants" -- a diplomatic concession that has left the Thai public shellshocked.
Her opponents quickly lambasted the move as an act of treason. Some see it as political suicide for the 38-year-old who was ushered into politics by her father Thaksin, a former fugitive prime minister himself, who recently returned from self-imposed exile overseas.
As a political novice, Ms Paetongtarn has already made a number of political blunders, but this telephone gaffe is the most egregious.
She apologised to the public yesterday for causing unhappiness and urged domestic unity amid foreign threats and insecurity. She insisted the call was a private, behind-the-scenes diplomatic technique. But due to her lack of experience, it backfired.
To douse public anger, Ms Paetongtarn tried to explain her inappropriate denunciation of the army commander as a communication tactic that "merely aimed to please the Cambodian strongman", who is furious at Thailand for having imposed tougher measures at border checkpoints such as shorter opening hours.
The blunder, known as "Hun Sen-gate", is causing a political ruckus. The Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) has turned its back on the Pheu Thai-led coalition government, which was already experiencing problems due to infighting over the looming cabinet reshuffle.
Other parties held executive meetings yesterday in preparation for the next round of political upheaval.
As public anger escalates, critics and fellow politicians are demanding the embattled premier take political responsibility for her gaffe. They said she has two options: dissolve parliament or step down.
The former would be followed by a snap election, while the latter would see a new premier chosen, another cabinet formed and possibly a new government put in place if Pheu Thai fails to keep its majority.
Either option would result in something of a political vacuum. And such unfavourable scenarios are spurring fears that the military may step in and intervene. This should not and must not be allowed to happen.
Analysts said another coup would create more problems than it would solve. It would be a disaster for the country, which has still not fully recovered from the consequences of the previous coup in 2014.
The men in green would be doing the country a great service if they could restrict their role to protecting the nation's borders and sovereignty, while remaining politically neutral.
Fortunately, army chief Gen Pana Klaewplodthuk has ruled out a coup. And Lt Gen Boonsin has shown his professionalism and diplomacy by stating he does not hold a grudge against the premier.
But with activists vowing to file charges and the Senate seeking her impeachment, the clock is ticking for Ms Paetongtarn, who would be well-advised to follow one of the aforementioned two options and put the country's best interests first.