Bangkok, September 9 (HS) : Thailand’s Supreme Court has ruled that influential former Prime Minister and billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra must serve a one-year prison sentence. The court declared his extended stay in a hospital VIP suite, during which he avoided jail time, unlawful. Consequently, Thaksin has been ordered to complete his prison term at Bangkok Remand Prison.

According to reports, 76-year-old Thaksin served as Prime Minister from 2001 until he was ousted in a 2006 military coup. After 15 years in self-imposed exile, he returned dramatically to Thailand in 2023. Initially sentenced to eight years for abuse of power, corruption, and conflicts of interest, his term was commuted to one year by King Maha Vajiralongkorn. In February 2024, Thaksin was released on parole after spending six months confined to a hospital suite due to health issues including chest tightness and hypertension.

The Supreme Court’s verdict, delivered Tuesday, emphasized that the hospital confinement period cannot be counted as time served against his sentence. Earlier in June, Thailand’s Medical Council suspended two doctors involved in facilitating Thaksin’s hospital detention. Thaksin was present in court when the ruling was announced. His recent health-related trip to Dubai fueled speculation about an attempt to evade imprisonment, but he returned to face the decision.

This ruling marks a significant moment in Thai politics, further complicating the legacy of the Shinawatra family, which has shaped the country’s political landscape for over two decades.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar