Bangkok, September 9 (Reuters) – Thailand’s influential former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was sent to prison on Tuesday.
The polarized billionaire returned from his 15 years of self-exile in August 2023, and was hospitalized after complaining of heart troubles and chest pain, stimulating widespread skepticism and public outrage.
The 2001-2006 premiere was commuted by the King for a year, and Thaksin was paroled after only six months of detention, all of which were spent on the VIP wing of the hospital before being released from his eight-year sentence for his abuse of power in one year.
A judge on Tuesday said Thaksin had no severe illness and could have been treated in prison, adding that both he and his doctors intentionally extended his hospitalization.
“The defendant either knew the facts or knew the situation was not a serious emergency. The defendant was treated as an outpatient patient and had only a chronic condition in which he did not require hospitalization.”
The Corrections Department carrying Thaksin arrived at Bangkok prison within an hour of the country-knowing sentencing, the latest drama of two weeks of political turmoil that saw the collapse of another Thaksin-backed populist government.
The 76-year-old power broker has been experiencing a period of political calculations after his daughter and protégé Paetongtarn Shinawatra were fired as prime minister on August 29th by the court.
The Paetongtarn government collapsed on Friday and was defeated by challenger Anutin Charnvirakul. Anutin Charnvirakul was elected by the Congress in the humiliating defeat of Thaksin’s former unstoppable Pheu Thai party, which won five out of the past six elections.
Thaksin, who has been heavily on Thai politics throughout the quarter-century turmoil, is Thailand’s first former prime minister sent to prison.
“Historical Day”
He accepted the verdict and said he would remain strong.
“Today, I may no longer have freedom, but I may have freedom to generate profits for the country and people,” Thaksin said in a social media statement.
Thaksin’s close relatives attended the verdict with him. Emotional Paetontarn said she was not only concerned about her father, but also proud.
“My father created a country’s history, including useful policies that benefit people,” she told reporters.
“Today is another historic day when he was the first prime minister to go to prison. This is very heavy.”
Kokau Picklson, a party MP for Fau Tai, who was in court, said Thaksin had received the verdict well.
“He still has a spirit of fighting,” he added.
Titipol Phakdeewanich, a political science professor at Ubon Ratchathani University, said despite the imprisonment and the declining influence of the Sinawatra family, the indomitable Thaksin is still trying to summon a shot of politics.
“Sent to a year’s sentence doesn’t mean he’s completely withdrawing from politics. He will still play a role within Pheu Thai,” he said.
“There is still legal way to cut his sentences, so I have doubts about him still spending all year in prison.
(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat, Kitiphong Thaicharoen, Chayut Setboonsarng, Panu Wongcha-um, Devjyot Ghoshal, Orathai Sriring; Written by Martin Petty; Edited by John Mair)
