Bangkok, Sept 10 (V7N) – Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, one of the country’s most influential political figures, was ordered back to prison on Tuesday after the Supreme Court ruled that his year-long hospital stay was an attempt to avoid incarceration. The decision marks a significant setback for the Shinawatra family, which has dominated Thai politics for more than two decades.

Thaksin, a deeply polarizing billionaire tycoon-turned-politician, returned to Thailand in August 2023 after 15 years of self-imposed exile to avoid corruption charges. He spent only a few hours in prison before being transferred to a hospital, citing heart problems and chest pains. His sudden hospitalisation, where he remained in a VIP ward, drew public outrage and suspicions that he was receiving preferential treatment.

The former leader had been sentenced to eight years in prison for conflicts of interest and abuse of power during his 2001–2006 premiership. However, his sentence was later commuted to one year by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, and he was granted parole after serving only six months — all of which he spent in hospital rather than in prison.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court stated that Thaksin had no critical or life-threatening condition and that his chronic illnesses could have been managed as an outpatient in prison facilities. Judges concluded that both Thaksin and his doctors intentionally prolonged his hospital stay to avoid serving his sentence.

“The defendant was aware that his condition was not a critical emergency. He only had chronic ailments that did not require hospitalisation,” the court ruling said.

The order to return to prison comes amid heightened political tension in Thailand, where Thaksin’s family and allies continue to exert major influence. His daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, currently leads the ruling Pheu Thai party, which has faced pressure from conservative and military-backed factions.

Analysts say the ruling could reshape Thailand’s political landscape by further weakening the Shinawatras’ grip on power and intensifying divisions between pro-establishment forces and their populist rivals.

News Source: Reuters 

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