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Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - A file picture of former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra during a Reuters interview in Singapore February 23, 2016. — Reuters pic
BANGKOK, April 30 — Thailand’s top court dismissed a case on Wednesday that accused former premier Thaksin Shinawatra of receiving special treatment when he returned to the kingdom after more than a decade in exile.
The case filed by a former lawmaker from the Democrat Party — longtime foes of Thaksin — alleged the authorities gave the 75-year-old former leader preferential treatment when he came back to Thailand in August 2023.
Thaksin was sentenced to eight years in prison for corruption and abuse of power as soon as he landed in Bangkok and was taken to a detention centre.
However, he was transferred to a private room at the Police General Hospital the next day for health reasons and remained there until pardoned by King Maha Vajiralongkorn around six months later and was released on parole.
That Thaksin did not spend time in a prison cell, combined with the fact he returned on the very day his Pheu Thai party took over the government, fuelled speculation that he had benefited from some kind of backroom deal.
The Supreme Court dismissed the case on Wednesday, ruling the petitioner “does not have the rights to file a petition” because he was not directly involved.
However, the court ordered its own investigation to determine whether Thaksin had served his sentence properly, summoning officials from the prison, the Department of Corrections and a hospital doctor to testify on June 13.
Thaksin, who had said he would retire from politics after returning, has remained active campaigning in provincial elections for Pheu Thai and recently volunteering in informal trade discussions with the United States, according to Thai media.
Pheu Thai formed a coalition with military-aligned parties, ending decades of political wrangling between progressive and pro-military factions. Thaksin’s daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra became prime minister last year.
Political analyst Yuttaporn Issarachai told AFP the case was “just another legal battle” launched by anti-Thaksin groups to push him out of politics.
“It’s something we have seen repeatedly in Thai politics over the past 20 years,” he said.
While Thaksin remains popular with his support base, he has long been disliked by Thailand’s pro-royalist and military establishment.
He is due to appear in court in July over a separate royal defamation case linked to his 2015 interview with a South Korean media outlet. — AFP
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