However, it ordered Ms Paetongtarn and the complainants - a group of 36 senators - to file their written closing statements on Monday, instead of next Wednesday, so that judges would have more time to prepare their ruling, reports the Bangkok Post.
It scheduled oral statements, discussions and voting as originally planned for Aug 29 starting at 9:30am, with the reading of the ruling set for 3pm.
The judges yesterday heard from two witnesses: Ms Paetongtarn and Chatchai Bangchuat, secretary-general of the National Security Council.
If found guilty, Ms Paetongtarn would become the third member of the Shinawatra family to be removed from office. Her father Thaksin was toppled in a 2006 coup, while her aunt Yingluck was ousted by the Constitutional Court in 2014, weeks before a military coup.
Ms Paetongtarn’s immediate predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, was also dismissed by the court in 2023 for an ethics violation after he appointed a minister with a criminal past.
If Ms Paetongtarn is removed from office, the cabinet would also have to step down, setting off a new round of political instability.
Yesterday’s hearing came a day before another key court ruling - this one involving Thaksin. He is charged with lese-majeste in connection with remarks he made in a 2015 interview about the coup the previous year.
Ethics complaint
The senators who filed the complaint against Ms Paetongtarn believe she violated constitutional provisions related to ethical behaviour of ministers with her handling of the phone call with Hun Sen.
An audio clip of the conversation about the border dispute between the two countries was released to the media on June 18, and Ms Paetongtarn was immediately put on the defensive.
She told a press conference that during the conversation she intended to take a gentle approach to dealing with Hun Sen as a negotiating strategy, for the protection of Thailand’s sovereignty.
However, the complainants viewed that she failed to act properly in her capacity as prime minister. Her talk of personal and family relationships with Hun Sen gave the appearance of siding with Cambodia, they said. She also described the tough-talking commander of the Second Army Region as an adversary, and indicated she was ready to meet Cambodia’s demands, the senators said.
The court suspended Ms Paetongtarn as prime minister on July 1 pending a ruling in the case.
Time of tension
The controversial phone call was made at a time when Thailand was restricting border crossings with Cambodia after a skirmish in a disputed area in Ubon Ratchathani in late May, which followed Cambodian incursions that started in April.
In early June Thailand cut border opening times and banned some groups from crossing, while Cambodia continued to accuse Thailand of invading its territory and opening fire on its soldiers.
Phnom Penh subsequently said it intended to bring border issues to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which Thailand opposed.
Cambodia brought its claims to the ICJ on June 15, the same day of Ms Paetongtarn’s phone call in which Hun Sen repeated his demand that border crossing restrictions be lifted.
Four days earlier, Ms Paetongtarn called on security agencies to match operating hours at border checkpoints with those of Cambodia to ease problems for border-crossers.