Doctor testifies former Thai PM Thaksin's condition not critical, prison didn't follow up

The Star

19-07-2025

BANGKOK: The Supreme Court on Friday (July 18) heard testimonies from six Police General Hospital doctors in the '14th floor case'. A doctor confirmed that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's condition was not critical, with conflicting statements on surgery.
The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders heard the fifth round of witness testimonies in the case brought against Thaksin.
The case is being prosecuted by the Attorney General and the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) regarding Thaksin's transfer from prison to receive medical treatment at Police General Hospital on the first night of his incarceration.
Friday's proceedings focused on the testimonies of six witnesses, including hospital directors and the medical team responsible for treating Thaksin between Aug 23, 2023, and Feb 17, 2024.
The court also reviewed relevant medical records, treatment logs, and Thaksin's overseas medical history provided by his legal team.
The six witnesses were:
1) Pol Lt Gen Soponrat Singhajaru, Assistant Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police
2) Pol Lt Gen Dr Taweesilp Wetchavitarn, Chief Medical Officer
3) Pol Maj Gen Samart Muangsiri
4) Pol Maj Gen Supalerk Pattanaprichakul, Medical Officer
5) Pol Col Chana Chongchokdee, Medical Officer
6) Pol Lt Gen Suraphol Kesprayura
According to reports from the court, three of the witnesses testified in the morning session, including the former chief doctor of the Police General Hospital, the current chief doctor, and the doctor who treated Thaksin during his midnight admission on August 23, 2023.
The first witness, the former chief doctor of the hospital at the time of Thaksin's admission, testified about the process of admitting Thaksin as a patient and whether his treatment followed the hospital's established procedures, particularly in regard to placing him in a room on the 14th floor.
The witness explained that the 14th floor was designated as a separate treatment area during the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to the use of all available patient rooms.
However, the witness clarified that he was not involved in Thaksin's treatment and only received reports from the attending doctors.
When asked if other prisoners from the correctional facility had been treated on the 14th floor, the witness could not provide an answer and promised to submit further details to the court.
The court also reviewed the invoices related to Thaksin's treatment, which included 27 receipts. Of these, only 9 listed medication expenses.
The second witness, the current chief doctor of Police General Hospital, who assumed the position in mid-October 2023, testified about the special room where Thaksin was placed.
His account contradicted the previous witness's testimony, particularly regarding Thaksin's medical condition.
The witness explained that despite Thaksin being sent from the Bangkok Remand Prison as a critical patient, he was not sent to the emergency room or ICU at Police General Hospital but was instead placed on the 14th floor as a result of prior coordination.
Furthermore, the court questioned the medical history of Thaksin's condition, as outlined in the documents sent from the prison.
While the prison documents indicated a need for neck surgery, which was not carried out due to Thaksin's refusal, the treatment at the hospital focused on other conditions, including a finger surgery and shoulder tendon repair, which had developed while he was being treated at Police General Hospital.
The testimony of the medical professionals revealed contradictions, particularly regarding the finger surgery, and raised questions about the consistency of the diagnosis and treatment between the prison and the hospital's medical staff.
The third witness, a doctor at Police General Hospital, testified about his role in treating Thaksin after his admission on Aug 23, 2023.
The court spent an hour and a half questioning this witness, who explained that he was the first doctor to receive Thaksin as a patient.
The court inquired in detail about the process of Thaksin's admission and treatment, from the moment he was brought in until his discharge.
The doctor read from the medical records, revealing that some symptoms were not documented, prompting further questions from the court about whether Thaksin's condition was critical and if he could have been sent back to the Bangkok Remand Prison.
The witness stated that some symptoms were not considered critical, and in his personal opinion, Thaksin could have been transferred back for treatment at the prison hospital.
The witness also noted that, during his examination of Thaksin, the patient sometimes lay in bed and other times sat on a sofa in his room.
The doctor testified that he had consulted a cardiologist regarding Thaksin's condition, and while surgery was recommended for other health issues, Thaksin declined the procedure.
The court also questioned the witness about discrepancies in the medical bills, specifically regarding medication that was not listed in the receipts.
Additionally, the court sought clarification on the medical certificate issued for extending Thaksin's hospital stay for 120 days.
Furthermore, the court asked whether prison officers had inquired about Thaksin's health, to which the doctor responded that no inquiries had been made.
Regarding security, the doctor confirmed that guards were present both inside and outside the room, and before each examination, the doctor's phone was confiscated.
The witness maintained that he had provided care according to medical ethics and stated that he was unaware of the regulations concerning the transfer or return of prisoners to the prison hospital.
When asked about the legal considerations and his responsibility for patient care, the witness responded, "I only thought about being a doctor treating a patient; I never thought I would end up in court."
Throughout his testimony, the witness appeared visibly stressed, requesting paper and pen to write down the court's questions.
At times, he placed his hands in a prayer-like gesture while answering the court's queries.
At the end of the session, the court requested that the witness provide additional documents:
1) information regarding other prisoners treated on the 14th floor of Police General Hospital, and 2) the medical records related to Thaksin's treatment.
Before entering the courtroom to attend the hearings in the case, former Democrat MP Chanchai Israsenarak presented receipts for Thaksin's treatment at Police General Hospital on the 14th floor to reporters.
The receipts included a total of 26 items from September 4, 2023, to February 19, 2024, amounting to 2,475,276 baht.
He explained that police authorities had ordered the Police General Hospital to report on the nature of Thaksin's treatment and the costs incurred for his care.
Thaksin was transferred from the Bangkok Remand Prison to Police General Hospital on August 23, 2023, but the first payment was recorded on September 4, 2023, which included a charge for nutritional support via IV at 150 Baht.
Other charges included diagnostic fees, nursing services, and room costs, totalling approximately 140,000 Baht, but there were no charges for medication, despite claims of a critical illness.
Chanchai emphasised that these receipts were not medical records and could be disclosed publicly.
Upon examining the receipts, he pointed out that there were no charges for medications and that a February 19, 2024, receipt included costs for prosthetics and treatment equipment, totalling 11,461 baht, and non-medication medical supplies worth 47,324 baht, in addition to room and food charges of 57,350 baht.
He noted that Thaksin was able to walk around freely just seven days after these treatments.
He further stated that the issue was not about special laws but about determining whether Thaksin's sentence was enforced properly.
He confirmed that the court needed to investigate thoroughly to ensure fairness for all parties involved, adding that the process was transparent and not intended to target anyone.
He also emphasised that he obtained the documents and receipts legally and would submit all relevant information to the court on July 25, 2025, to support the case against Thaksin.
'If he's not satisfied, let him sue me,' Chanchai said.
'I'm ready to go to court with him again, and I'll drag out any confidential documents to expose the truth. If he's really confident, let him come forward, but let the truth come out in court so that peace can return to the country. I'm not doing this for politics; I'm no longer involved in politics,' Chanchai added. - The Nation/ANN