Thai Court Orders Thaksin, Ex-Premier, to Serve One Year in Prison

Asia Pacific|Thai Court Orders Thaksin, Ex-Premier, to Serve 1 Year in Prison

A Thai court on Tuesday ordered Thaksin Shinawatra, an influential former prime minister, to serve one year in prison for a previous conviction, the latest blow to his political fortunes.

The Supreme Court in Bangkok ordered Mr. Thaksin, 76, to report to a prison in the city later on Tuesday.

In 2023, Mr. Thaksin had been given an eight-year prison sentence on charges of corruption and abuse of power. But he was transferred to a hospital after arriving in prison, for health reasons. Mr. Thaksin then spent six months in a V.I.P. suite in the hospital and was released after he received a royal pardon. His sentence was eventually commuted.

For months, Mr. Thaksin’s critics argued that effectively he had avoided prison altogether. That changed after Tuesday’s verdict, which is the latest twist in a turbulent time in Thai politics — Mr. Thaksin’s daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra was dismissed as prime minister last month.

Last week Mr. Thaksin had abruptly flown to Dubai, spurring speculation that he was going into self-exile, but by Monday he had returned to Bangkok. It was For decades, Mr. Thaksin has clashed with Thailand’s royalist-military establishment for power. He was ousted in a coup and lived in self-exile for years but remained a political force back home.

In 2023, Mr. Thaksin made a dramatic return to Thailand, and soon it appeared that his political fortunes were on the upswing. The following year Ms. Paetongtarn became Thailand’s prime minister.

Muktita Suhartono and Kittiphum Sringammuang contributed reporting.