Thai ex-PM Thaksin could face 15 years in prison in royal defamation case
Thaksin stands accused of breaching strict lese-majeste laws shielding Thailand's royal family from abuse and criticism in a closed-door trial in the capital, Bangkok, that began earlier this month and continued on Wednesday.
The prosecution's case revolves around remarks Thaksin made to South Korean media a decade ago, with the defendant due to give at least three days of testimony. A verdict is not expected for several weeks.
Recent events for both father and daughter are a serious blow to the powerful Shinawatra political dynasty. For the past quarter-century, the 75-year-old telecoms magnate has been a defining figure of Thai politics, founding a movement which has competed with the traditional pro-royal, pro-military elite.
His prosecution, combined with Paetongtarn's suspension two weeks ago, represents a dramatic waning of their family's political fortune, analysts say.
Thaksin's lawyer Winyat Chatmontri told the AFP news agency his client testified on Wednesday morning 'and will continue throughout the rest of the day'.
About 50 Thaksin supporters gathered at the court, wearing red shirts, the colour of his political movement, emblazoned with a portrait of his face.
'He is a very talented guy,' 79-year-old retired accountant Vaew Wilailak told AFP. 'But from past experience, bad people just want to get rid of him.'
Thaksin returned to Thailand in August 2023 after 15 years in exile, following a military coup which removed him from the prime minister's office that he won in two elections.
He returned the day his family's Pheu Thai party took office, at the head of a coalition government backed by their conservative former enemies, prompting suspicions a backroom deal had been struck.
Thaksin was immediately sentenced to eight years in prison on corruption and abuse of power charges – later reduced to one year by a pardon from King Maha Vajiralongkorn in another apparent sign of reconciliation.
In recent interviews, Thaksin affirmed his loyalty to the monarchy and expressed gratitude for the king's pardon.
Speaking to AFP outside the court on the trial's opening day on July 1, Winyat said his client appeared 'chill' despite the seriousness of the case.
On the same day, Paetongtarn was suspended by the Constitutional Court, pending an ethics probe into her conduct during a leaked diplomatic phone call discussing a deadly border clash between Thai and Cambodian troops on May 28, which resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier and reignited longstanding tensions in the region.
The scandal 'became a full-blown crisis' after the leaked call suggested that Paetongtarn had 'compromised her position by kowtowing' to former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, professor of political science and international relations at Chulalongkorn University, told the Turkish news agency Anadolu.
In the call, Paetongtarn referred to Hun Sen as 'uncle' and described a Thai military commander as an 'opponent'.
Pheu Thai's coalition has been abandoned by key conservative backers over the call, leaving it with a razor-thin parliamentary majority steered by a caretaker prime minister.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
11 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Thailand recalls ambassador to Cambodia amid border tensions
Thailand has recalled its ambassador to Cambodia and will expel Cambodia's ambassador, the governing Pheu Thai Party said, following a landmine incident that injured a Thai soldier along the disputed border between the two countries. The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs has lodged a formal protest with Cambodia, saying the landmines found in the area were newly deployed and had not been encountered during previous patrols, the party said on social media on Wednesday. Thailand has downgraded diplomatic relations with Cambodia, it said. Thailand's foreign ministry said it had yet to be informed of the decision to recall the Thai envoy and the plan to expel Cambodia's ambassador. The government has also ordered the closure of all border checkpoints under the jurisdiction of Thailand's Second Army, the Pheu Thai Party said. 'Tourists are strictly prohibited from entering these border areas,' it said. A long-running territorial row in an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of both countries and Laos meet, boiled over into military clashes in May that left one Cambodian soldier dead. Since then, the two sides have traded barbs and tit-for-tat retaliatory measures. In the landmine incident on Wednesday, the Thai soldier sustained injuries and lost his right leg, the Pheu Thai Party said. Earlier, Thailand accused Cambodia of placing landmines on the Thai side of the disputed border area after three soldiers were injured, but Phnom Penh denied the claim and said the soldiers had veered off agreed routes and triggered a mine left behind from decades of war. Thai authorities said the soldiers were injured, with one losing a foot, by a landmine while on a patrol on July 16 on the Thai side of the disputed border area between Ubon Ratchathani and Cambodia's Preah Vihear Province. Cambodia's foreign ministry denied that new mines had been planted, and said in a statement on Monday that the Thai soldiers deviated from agreed patrol routes into Cambodian territory and into areas that contain unexploded landmines. The country is littered with landmines laid during decades of war. The continuing border dispute has soured relations between the two countries, prompting the closure of border crossings, and Cambodia blocking imports of fuel and gas, as well as fruit and vegetables, from Thailand. It also triggered a domestic political crisis in Thailand, where Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended from office pending an ethics probe over her conduct during the row. A diplomatic call between Paetongtarn and Hun Sen, Cambodia's former longtime ruler and father of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, was leaked from the Cambodian side, prompting a judicial investigation. Last week, Hun Manet announced that Cambodia would start conscripting civilians next year, activating a long-dormant mandatory draft law. He said the tensions with Thailand meant conscription was needed, and the defence budget may also be increased.
Al Jazeera
12 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Video: Iran's president says country won't abandon its nuclear programme
Iran's president says country won't abandon its nuclear programme NewsFeed Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has told Al Jazeera his country is committed to continuing its nuclear program for peaceful purposes, after the 12-day assault by Israel supported by the US. Video Duration 03 minutes 18 seconds 03:18 Video Duration 00 minutes 40 seconds 00:40 Video Duration 03 minutes 00 seconds 03:00 Video Duration 01 minutes 39 seconds 01:39 Video Duration 01 minutes 47 seconds 01:47 Video Duration 02 minutes 57 seconds 02:57 Video Duration 00 minutes 46 seconds 00:46
Al Jazeera
13 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Malaysia 'calls on world leaders' to restrain Israel
Malaysia 'calls on world leaders' to restrain Israel Quotable Video Duration 01 minutes 12 seconds 01:12 Video Duration 01 minutes 10 seconds 01:10 Video Duration 01 minutes 21 seconds 01:21 Video Duration 01 minutes 39 seconds 01:39 Video Duration 01 minutes 07 seconds 01:07 Video Duration 01 minutes 39 seconds 01:39 Video Duration 01 minutes 11 seconds 01:11
