Thailand's Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra must serve one year in jail because his detention in a VIP wing of a hospital in lieu of prison was unlawful, in another major blow for a powerful family that has dominated politics for two decades.
The judges said Thaksin did not have severe illness and his hospitalisation could not be counted as time served, adding the responsibility did not solely lie with the doctors and that the polarising billionaire intentionally prolonged his hospital stay.
Thaksin was seen at the court removing his jacket and getting into a corrections department van.
In a statement on Facebook, the tycoon said he accepted the verdict and would stay strong.
"Today, I may no longer have freedom, but have freedom of thought to create benefit for the country and people," Thaksin said.
The 76-year-old power-broker is experiencing a period of political reckoning after his daughter and protégé Paetongtarn Shinawatra was sacked as prime minister by a court on 29 August - the sixth premier from or backed by the Shinawatra family to be removed by the judiciary or military.
Following Paetongtarn's sacking last month, days of chaos ensued before her government fell on Friday, outmanoeuvred by challenger Anutin Charnvirakul, who was elected premier by parliament in a humiliating defeat for Thaksin's once unstoppable Pheu Thai party.
On return from 15 years of self-imposed exile in 2023, Thaksin spent only a few hours in prison before being transferred to hospital complaining of heart trouble and chest pains, prompting widespread scepticism and public outrage.
His eight-year sentence for conflicts of interest and abuse of power was commuted to one year by the king and Thaksin was released on parole after just six months, the entirety of which he had spent in the VIP wing of a hospital.
A political ally of Thaksin who was in the courtroom said he took the decision well.
"He still has the fighting spirit, he told me he came back (from overseas) and was ready to face any situation, whether it's good or bad," Kokaew Pikulthong, a lawmaker for the Pheu Thai party, told reporters.
The U.S. has imposed new Iran-related sanctions targeting a key financier linked to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and 13 other individuals...
Temperatures above 40°C are scorching parts of Central Asia, prompting the World Health Organization to warn that extreme heat is becoming an increas...
As a wildfire swept through the mountains toward rural Andalusian villages near Los Gallardos in southern Spain, residents faced a life-or-death decis...
Athletes from around the world are competing in the 2026 World Rafting Cup on Kenya's Tana River, with races taking place in the town of Sagana in Kirinyaga County, north of the capital, Nairobi.
Spain advanced to the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals after defeating Belgium 2-1 at Los Angeles Stadium, setting up a highly anticipated last-four clash with France.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington has agreed to resume talks with Iran after Tehran requested further negotiations, but declared that last month's ceasefire between the two countries was "over".
The remains of 10 victims of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide were carried to the Potočari Memorial Cemetery in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday ahead of their burial during the 31st anniversary commemoration.
It has been a punishing week for large parts of China, and forecasters warn the worst may not be over. After Typhoon Maysak left a trail of destruction and at least 23 people dead, Super Typhoon Bavi is now threatening the country's eastern coast.
At least 12 people have been killed in forest fires in Almeria in southern Spain, Andalucía’s emergency agency has said, as firefighters continue efforts to put out the blaze.
The death toll from Venezuela's twin earthquakes has risen to 3,811, according to figures released by National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez on Wednesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington has agreed to resume talks with Iran after Tehran requested further negotiations, but declared that last month's ceasefire between the two countries was "over".
The U.S. military said on Wednesday it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping, triggering Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain in the latest escalation to derail efforts to end the war.
Athletes from around the world are competing in the 2026 World Rafting Cup on Kenya's Tana River, with races taking place in the town of Sagana in Kirinyaga County, north of the capital, Nairobi.
China's technology sector is producing billion-dollar startups at its fastest pace in nearly five years, with artificial intelligence and robotics driving a new wave of investment that is reshaping the country's innovation economy.
Spain advanced to the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals after defeating Belgium 2-1 at Los Angeles Stadium, setting up a highly anticipated last-four clash with France.
The remains of 10 victims of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide were carried to the Potočari Memorial Cemetery in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday ahead of their burial during the 31st anniversary commemoration.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged China and North Korea to strengthen cooperation and maintain "strategic resolve" amid what he described as growing global instability. He made the remarks during talks with North Korean Premier Pak Thae-song in Beijing on Friday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment