Ex-Thai PM Thaksin to serve one year in jail

Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been sentenced to one year in prison by the country’s top court. According to the verdict, Thaksin’s original eight-year prison sentence had been reduced to one year by the King of Thailand. However, he spent only a few hours in jail.

Thaksin was handed an eight-year sentence in a corruption case in 2006. Just hours after beginning his sentence, he was transferred to a luxury hospital ward in Bangkok, citing heart problems.

The BBC reported that Tuesday’s court ruling stated Thaksin’s health condition was serious but did not require hospitalisation; his treatment could have been carried out in prison. The court observed that laws are often applied differently to the rich and powerful, with Thaksin’s case being an example of such disparity.

During the verdict, Thaksin appeared in court with his daughter Paetongtarn. She said the family remained mentally strong and expressed determination to continue advancing the Pheu Thai Party. On social media, Thaksin stated that although he was physically imprisoned, he would always think of the nation’s welfare.

Thaksin first became Prime Minister in 2001. Following a military coup in 2006, he went into exile, spending most of his time in Dubai. His sister and daughter later also served as Prime Ministers.