BANGKOK  – Thailand’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra must serve a one-year prison sentence, overturning the hospital stay that had previously allowed him to avoid time behind bars.

The 76-year-old billionaire, ousted in a 2006 coup and convicted of corruption and abuse of power, returned from exile in 2023 and was sentenced to eight years in prison. That sentence was later commuted to one year by royal pardon. But instead of serving his term in jail, Thaksin was swiftly transferred to the Police General Hospital in Bangkok, where he remained for six months citing heart and respiratory conditions.

The court found the hospital transfer unlawful, saying his conditions did not warrant inpatient care and could have been treated as an outpatient. Judges ruled the hospital stay would not count toward his sentence, sending him to Bangkok’s Klong Prem Central Prison.

Thaksin Shinawatra

Thaksin, one of Thailand’s most influential political figures in recent decades, smiled and waved to supporters outside the court before being taken into custody. In a statement posted earlier on social media, he said: “I may lose my physical freedom, but my freedom of thought remains – for the benefit of my country.”

The decision comes amid a turbulent political period. His daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was removed as prime minister last month after a court ruling on ethical violations. Parliament last week chose Anutin Charnvirakul as the country’s third premier in two years, cementing a shift in power away from the Shinawatra family and their Pheu Thai party.

The ruling underscores growing scrutiny of privileged treatment for political elites in Thailand and signals a further decline in the influence of the Shinawatra dynasty, which has dominated politics for more than two decades. (zai)