Former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra with his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra PC: AFP
Thailand's Supreme Court has instructed the country's former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, to serve a one-year prison sentence on Tuesday. The court stated that his previous detention in a hospital did not count towards jail time.
While ordering his transfer to Bangkok Remand Prison, the court pointed out that the defendant knew that his illness was not an emergency situation, and the stay cannot be considered as time in prison.
Thaksin, who is 76, was given eight years in prison for corruption and abuse of power in 2023 after he returned from exile. His term was cut to one year by a royal pardon, and he was released early under an amnesty programme for elderly prisoners.
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But he only spent a few hours in prison before he was transferred to a hospital. He was then released on parole in February 2024 after six months of detention.
Thaksin's unexpected departure from Thailand last week sparked speculation that he was fleeing again. He returned on Monday amid a political crisis triggered by the dismissal of his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, as prime minister and Pheu Thai's loss of power to a rival coalition.
"My father is a spiritual leader-whether because of his former political role, his service to the nation, or his earnest desire to be part of bettering the lives of the people," Paetongtarn told reporters outside court.
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Thaksin was elected prime minister for the first time in 2001 and was re-elected in 2005, before he was overthrown in a 2006 military coup. His family's populist politics have consistently conflicted with Thailand's pro-military and pro-royalty establishment.
Although they won several elections, Pheu Thai leaders such as Paetongtarn have been repeatedly ousted from office by court decisions or the military. The most recent setback highlights the declining power of the Shinawatra political dynasty.
