Thailand’s Supreme Court Reinstates Thaksin Shinawatra’s One-Year Sentence

Sun Oct 19 2025 00:18:15 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand, faces a confirmed one-year prison term as the Supreme Court rules on his past convictions. Following his controversial return to Thailand from self-exile, questions arise over the handling of his incarceration and health claims.

Thailand's Supreme Court has mandated that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra serve a one-year prison sentence for prior convictions linked to corruption and abuse of power. Thaksin's return to Thailand after years in self-exile sparked scrutiny over how authorities managed his case, especially since he was swiftly transferred to a hospital for alleged medical issues shortly after entering prison. His initial eight-year sentence was reduced to one year by the monarch, leading to allegations of preferential treatment amid public skepticism regarding his health.

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s Supreme Court has affirmed that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will serve a one-year prison term stemming from earlier convictions related to graft and abuse of power. This decision puts to rest ongoing investigations into whether authorities mishandled his return to Thailand, after Thaksin spent over a decade in self-imposed exile.

Upon returning to Thailand, Thaksin was taken from prison to a suite in Bangkok’s Police General Hospital, raising eyebrows as he was reportedly there for medical reasons after spending less than a day in custody. King Maha Vajiralongkorn commuted Thaksin's original eight-year term to just one year and he was released on parole after serving only six months in the hospital.

The circumstances surrounding his swift transition from prison to hospital have drawn criticism and questions of preferential treatment, with many citizens expressing skepticism about the authenticity of his medical condition.