Foreign media closely track Thaksin Shinawatra's return to prison
Foreign media outlets have been following the fate of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra after the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions ruled that he must return to prison to serve a one-year sentence.
On Tuesday (September 9), CNN reported that the Supreme Court had sentenced the influential former prime minister and billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra to one year in prison, overturning his temporary hospitalisation, which was deemed to have violated legal procedures. The court ordered his immediate transfer to the Bangkok Remand Prison.
At 76, Thaksin, who served as prime minister from 2001 to 2006 before being ousted by a military coup, had returned to Thailand in 2023 after 15 years in exile. Upon his return, he faced multiple convictions, including charges of corruption and abuse of power.
His sentence was reduced to one year following a royal pardon, but he had never served time in prison and instead was treated in a luxurious room at the Police General Hospital in Bangkok. This sparked questions regarding preferential treatment.
The Guardian reported a statement from Thaksin, acknowledging the court's decision: "From today onwards, though I lose my freedom, I will still have the freedom to think for the benefit of the nation and the people."
The report not only highlighted Thaksin's treatment at the Police General Hospital, raising questions about the severity of his illness, but also pointed out that his return to Thailand coincided with the period when his Pheu Thai Party held power.
This was part of a coalition government with his former "enemy" party, which has ties to the military. This led to speculation that Thaksin may have received special treatment as part of a political agreement.
Today’s ruling marks the final case among several recent legal battles that have impacted his family, one of the most prominent political dynasties in Thailand.
Reuters noted that Thaksin's political influence appeared to be waning after his family's party lost control of the government in a recent parliamentary vote, marking the end of an era in Thai politics dominated by the Shinawatra family.
The political machinery of the Shinawatra family, which won every election from 2001 to 2019 despite facing two military coups, is now losing massive support. Scholars suggest that the "Shinawatra family’s political era is over."
