Ex-Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra Returns Home

Bangkok, Thailand – Influential former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Thailand on Monday, ahead of a landmark ruling by the country’s Supreme Court that could see him jailed.

Thaksin, 76, had left the country last week after his Pheu Thai Party was ousted from office, sparking speculation that he was avoiding a Supreme Court inquiry into whether he had properly served a prison sentence.

Televised footage showed Thaksin arriving at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok by private jet on Monday afternoon. He has pledged to attend the court proceedings in person.

The Supreme Court ruling is expected on Tuesday. While the decision is not directly about Thaksin’s guilt, analysts warn it could still result in imprisonment.

For over two decades, the Shinawatra family has been a major political force in Thailand, often clashing with the country’s pro-military and pro-royalty elite. Their populist approach has long been seen as a challenge to the traditional social order.

However, the family’s political influence has weakened in recent years due to multiple legal and political setbacks. The Supreme Court ruling comes after the recent removal of the Pheu Thai Party from power, marking another potential blow to the dynasty.

The court investigation focuses on Thaksin’s corruption and abuse-of-power sentence after his return to Thailand in August 2023, following years in exile. Initially sentenced to eight years in prison, he never spent a night in a cell, being moved directly to a private room at Bangkok’s Police General Hospital.

His transfer and the timing of his return, coinciding with his party forming a new government, raised public suspicion of a possible backroom deal and allegations of special treatment. A royal pardon later reduced his sentence to one year, and he was released in February 2024 under an early-release program for elderly prisoners.

Since April, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Position has been investigating whether Thaksin served his sentence correctly, questioning prison and medical officials as part of its probe.