Thai Tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra Faces Jail Time in Major Court Ruling

Thailand's Supreme Court has ruled that billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra must serve one year in jail following revelations that his detention in a hospital's VIP wing instead of prison was unauthorized. The court's decision marks a significant setback for a family that has been a dominant force in Thai politics for two decades.

A five-judge panel determined that the extended hospital stay was not solely the responsibility of the attending physicians, suggesting that the embattled political figure, now 76, strategically prolonged his hospital stay. This ruling coincides with a political upheaval for the Shinawatra family, as his daughter Paetongtarn was recently ousted from her prime minister position by the judiciary.

Returning from a 15-year self-imposed exile in 2023, Thaksin was briefly incarcerated before being moved to hospital due to health complaints, causing public suspicion. While his eight-year sentence was commuted to one year by the king, claims of favoritism continued as he was paroled after six months, all spent in hospital. Following recent political turmoil, his party faced further defeat when the government was overthrown by the election of Anutin Charnvirakul as premier, undermining the once-dominant Pheu Thai party.

(With inputs from agencies.)