Thailand's top court rules ex-PM Thaksin must serve year in jail

Bangkok Post Group

Thailand's Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra must serve one year in jail because his detention in a VIP wing of a hospital in lieu of prison was unlawful, in another major blow for a powerful family that has dominated politics for two decades. - REUTERS

Transcript

00:00Thailand's influential former prime minister, Thaksin Sinawat, was sent to prison on Tuesday

00:06after the country's Supreme Court ruled his time in hospital detention was an attempt

00:10to avoid jail.

00:12The polarizing billionaire arrived at the Supreme Court building in Bangkok in the morning,

00:17alongside his daughter and protege, Peitong Tharn, who was removed as prime minister in

00:21late August, triggering weeks of political chaos.

00:25Peitong Tharn's government then fell on Friday in a humiliating defeat for Thaksin's

00:30once-unstoppable Pew Thai Party, which won five of the past six elections.

00:36Thaksin had returned to Thailand in August 2023 after 15 years of self-exile to serve an eight-year

00:42sentence for conflicts of interest and abuse of power during his tenure as premier in the

00:47early aughts.

00:48The king later commuted that sentence to one year, and Thaksin served just six months before

00:53he was released on parole.

00:55He spent the entirety of his detention in the VIP wing of a hospital after complaining

01:00of heart trouble and chest pains, prompting widespread skepticism and public outrage.

01:06The judges on Tuesday said Thaksin had no severe illness and could have been treated in jail,

01:12adding that he and his doctors had intentionally prolonged his hospital stay.

01:17Peitong Tharn exited the courtroom alone, with Thaksin leaving separately in a corrections department

01:22vehicle, which shortly arrived at a Bangkok jail.

01:27In a statement on social media, Thaksin said that he accepted the verdict and would remain

01:31strong.

01:33He is Thailand's first former premier to be sent to prison.

01:37And the Supreme Court's ruling deals another major blow to a powerful family that has dominated

01:41Thai politics for two decades.

01:45Yet despite the jailing and the Sinawat family's waning influence, some experts think Thaksin will

01:50still attempt to call the shots in politics and are doubtful whether he will spend the full

01:55year behind bars.

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