Thaksin Shinawatra Acquitted of Royal Defamation Charge in Thailand, Escaping 15-Year Prison Sentence
In Bangkok, Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was declared not guilty of a royal defamation charge by the court on Friday. The verdict could have sentenced him to imprisonment for up to 15 years.
As he exited the courtroom, an elated Thaksin, now 76, responded to journalists’ questions with the simple word: “Dismissal.” His lawyer, Winyat Chatmontree, confirmed the acquittal along with the Bangkok Criminal Court in a subsequent statement.
The lese majeste law, which criminalizes defaming the monarchy, carries a penalty of three to 15 years in prison. It is one of the world’s harshest such laws and has been increasingly utilized in Thailand to punish government critics.
Since early 2020, more than 270 individuals, including numerous student activists, have been charged with breaching this law according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.
The court’s statement indicated that the evidence and testimonies presented were deemed insufficient to support a conviction.
Thaksin was initially indicted in 2016 regarding comments made in South Korea a year prior, but the case was not pursued due to his exile status and incomplete legal procedures at the time. The court’s statement pointed out that the prosecution’s account of the interview was incomplete and lacked context, with a key point not clearly referring to then-King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
It was also suggested by the court that potential witnesses in Thaksin’s case may have been influenced by political bias due to their participation in anti-Thaksin political protests.
Thaksin’s opponents, often staunch royalists, accused him of corruption, abuse of power, and disrespecting then-King Bhumibol, who passed away in 2016. Thaksin has consistently asserted that the charges against him were politically motivated.
Upon indictment last year, Thaksin was granted bail with conditions restricting his travel outside Thailand unless approved by the court, and his passport was confiscated.
Although Thaksin has faced numerous prosecutions since leaving office, he has yet to serve any prison time. He was abroad during the 2006 military coup that ousted him and returned briefly in 2008 before returning to exile to avoid a possible imprisonment term.
He returned to Thailand in 2023 when the Pheu Thai political party, with which he is closely associated, came to power. He was sentenced to an eight-year prison term for corruption and abuse of power but was immediately transferred to a hospital on medical grounds. After six months in a hospital suite, he was granted a pardon, parole, and released.
The decision to admit him to the hospital instead of prison was met with controversy over whether it represented an undeserved privilege. The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders will rule on another case next month that may once again put Thaksin at risk of imprisonment.
Since his return, Thaksin has maintained a prominent role in public appearances and political observations, potentially stirring up the powerful conservative establishment that orchestrated his 2006 ouster.
His daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who assumed the prime minister position last year, is also under scrutiny. She stands accused of mishandling an ethical June 15 call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen regarding disputed territories. The Constitutional Court suspended her from her duties in July and will decide next week whether she will lose her prime minister position for violating ethics laws.
Thais have grown accustomed to sudden changes of government due to military coups, with more than a dozen such occurrences since the 1930s. In recent years, however, there has been an increase in such changes being imposed by the courts, ousting four prime ministers and dissolving three election-winning political parties on technical grounds.
In most cases, the targets have been viewed as challenges to the traditional royalist establishment, whose strongest defenders are the army and the courts.