Convicted: Thailand's Ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra Assigns a Year-Long Incarceration
Thailand's Supreme Court Orders Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to Serve Prison Sentence
After two decades of dominance in Thai politics, the Shinawatra family is facing a significant blow following the Supreme Court's ruling on Thursday. The court has ordered former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to serve a one-year prison sentence.
Thaksin Shinawatra, a Thai Hakka Chinese family member with Chinese ethnic origins, was taken into custody immediately after the court's ruling. He was transferred to Bangkok Remand Prison following his arrest.
The court found that Thaksin Shinawatra's hospital stay, which he underwent instead of serving his prison sentence, was unlawful. This was because he was not suffering from a critical emergency condition. As a result, the time he spent in the hospital cannot be counted as time served.
Thaksin Shinawatra, on his Facebook page, expressed that he still has the freedom of thought to create benefits for the country and people. He did not properly serve his previous one-year sentence, which was handed down in 2023 for corruption and abuse of power.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, expressed concern and pride regarding her father's situation. She stated that the family is still in a good spirit despite the court ruling. Paetongtarn also expressed that the Shinawatra family will continue to fight for justice and the wellbeing of the Thai people.
The Shinawatra family has been a dominant force in Thai politics for two decades. Their ancestor immigrated from Guangdong, China, to Siam (now Thailand) in the 1860s, and the family adopted the Thai surname Shinawatra in 1938 as part of a government Thai-ification campaign.
This ruling marks a significant shift in the political landscape of Thailand and is likely to have far-reaching consequences for the Shinawatra family and Thai politics as a whole.
