Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday returned to the kingdom after 15 years in exile and was immediately jailed, just hours before his party’s candidate was elected prime minister.
The Supreme Court ordered the 74-year-old billionaire to serve eight years on old graft charges, although it is not clear how much time he would serve behind bars, as his Pheu Thai party forms a government and rumors swirl of a deal for leniency.
Thaksin, loved and loathed in almost equal measure in Thailand, landed in a private jet at Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport yesterday morning, and was greeted by hundreds of “Red Shirt” supporters waving banners and singing songs.
Photo: EPA-EFE
He emerged briefly to bow and offer a floral garland at a portrait of King Maha Vajiralongkorn as a mark of respect before waving to supporters.
More Red Shirts lined the streets as the former Manchester City owner was taken to the Supreme Court. There he was ordered to serve eight years for three convictions passed in his absence — one linked to his former Shin Corp, another linked to a bank loan and a lottery case.
Just hours after he landed, parliament approved business tycoon Srettha Thavisin as prime minister at the head of a coalition led by the Pheu Thai party.
Photo: AFP
“I will try my best and work tirelessly to improve the quality of life for Thai people,” Srettha told reporters after he was confirmed as the kingdom’s 30th prime minister.
Pheu Thai’s controversial alliance includes parties from its old enemies in the military — which ousted both Thaksin and his sister Yingluck as prime minister.
This has led to widespread speculation of a backroom arrangement with Thailand’s powerful pro-military royalist establishment to let Thaksin off lightly — although Pheu Thai has denied such a deal.
Thaksin is to spend his first days in prison in isolation because of health problems, but his family would be able to visit him after five days, the Department of Corrections said.
Asked about the possibility of a royal pardon, Department of Corrections Deputy Director Sithi Suthiwong told reporters Thaksin could apply, and the process would take “about one to two months, if the documents are sufficient.”
Srettha sailed through the confirmation ballot in parliament with 482 votes in favor to 165 against and 81 abstentions.
His victory ends three months of political deadlock and wrangling after MFP beat Pheu Thai into second place in May’s polls.
Despite winning the most seats, Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat saw his bid to become prime minister sunk by conservative junta-appointed senators, who were spooked by his party’s determination to reform royal insult laws and tackle business monopolies.
After Srettha’s confirmation, Pita pledged on social media that the MFP would work in opposition to be “the political institution that people can trust.”
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