Bangkok: On Tuesday, Thailand's Supreme Court mandated that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra serve a one-year prison sentence, as reported by local media.
This ruling pertains to a prior conviction in which he was sentenced for corruption and abuse of power but did not serve time in jail, instead being transferred to a police hospital.
The Supreme Court of the country determined today that the hospital confinement of the 76-year-old former premier, from August 2023 to February 2024, following his return to Thailand after 15 years of self-imposed exile, was unlawful and cannot be considered as time served, according to the Bangkok Post.
Immediately after the ruling was made public, Thaksin took to his social media account to express his acceptance of the court's decision, as reported by the Thai news agency TNAMCOT.
The news outlet further noted that the former Prime Minister conveyed his appreciation to the King, who granted him a pardon and reduced his prison term to one year, and also thanked the public for their continued support.
Thaksin was removed from power by a military coup in 2006 and subsequently lived in self-imposed exile abroad. Upon his return to Thailand on August 22, 2023, the leader of the Pheu Thai Party faced trial for abuse of authority and conflict of interest during his tenure as prime minister prior to 2006, resulting in an eight-year prison sentence.
According to TNAMCOT, on the same evening, he was moved from Bangkok Special Remand Prison to the Police General Hospital due to a medical emergency. Thaksin stayed in the hospital until he was granted parole in February 2024, six months after Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn issued a pardon that reduced his eight-year sentence to one year, as reported by the news outlet.
In their ruling today, judges stated that Thaksin did not have a serious illness and could have received treatment while incarcerated, noting that both he and his medical team had deliberately extended his hospital stay.
Footage from Thai PBS News depicted Thaksin entering a Department of Corrections vehicle and departing from the Supreme Court to the special prison following the court's decision.
Speaking to the media outside the court, his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra criticized the ruling, asserting that Thaksin was the first Thai prime minister to be imprisoned despite the positive contributions he has made to the nation.
Paetongtarn herself was removed from her position as Prime Minister by Thailand's Constitutional Court less than two weeks ago due to a leaked phone call with Cambodia's former leader that violated ethical guidelines.
