Thailand’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to return to prison, ruling that he had evaded his sentence by being hospitalized upon his return to the country. The decision marks a significant setback for Thaksin’s political standing, coming days after his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was removed from the premiership.
The court ruled that the influential political figure must serve one year in prison. Thaksin, 76, who spent 15 years in self-imposed exile, returned to Thailand in August 2023 as the Pheu Thai Party, led by the Shinawatra family, regained power. At that time, he faced an eight-year sentence on corruption charges, which was reduced to one year after he was granted royal clemency.
However, Thaksin avoided immediate imprisonment when, on his first night back, he was transferred from Bangkok Remand Prison to the Police General Hospital due to reported heart and lung complications. He remained under medical care for six months before being granted parole in February 2024.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court launched an investigation into whether his hospitalization had been a tactic to avoid incarceration. The court’s ruling confirms that the process was improper.
The verdict arrives amid a dramatic political shift in Thailand. Just days ago, Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of a rival political faction, assumed the prime ministership after Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s government collapsed, ending two years of Pheu Thai Party rule.
“The court verdict worsens the popularity of the Pheu Thai Party, and that would mean the party could lose in the next election,” political analyst Boonyakiat Karavekphan from Ramkhamhaeng University told Nikkei Asia.
Thaksin was present in court on Tuesday to hear the ruling in person. He had briefly traveled to Dubai last week but returned to Thailand on Monday.
