Latest news with #YingluckShinawatra
CNA
27-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
New court statement triggers confusion over verdict of former Thai PM Yingluck
The implementation of a verdict concerning former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has been thrown into question after a statement by the court. The Thai Supreme Administrative Court had found Ms Yingluck liable for the payment of about US$300 million in damages incurred by the state under a rice-pledging scheme launched by her government. But on May 26, the court said it did not have the authority to force the former premier to make the payment, raising questions about what this means for Ms Yingluck, who remains in self-imposed exile. CNA's Saksith Saiyasombut with the analysis.
NHK
23-05-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Thai ex-pm ordered to pay $300 mil. over failed rice scheme
A former Thai prime minister has been ordered to pay about 300-million dollars' damages over a controversial rice subsidy program more than a decade ago. Yingluck Shinawatra served as Thailand's leader for 3 years from 2011. The Supreme Administrative Court said on Thursday that Yingluck's administration failed to curb corruption over rice deals that caused losses to the state. The aim of the program was to support farmers' incomes by buying rice from them at prices higher than market value. It was a flagship policy, but led to a large amount of crops going stockpiled and unsold. Yingluck said on Facebook she had no intention to inflict damage and was being held responsible "for a debt I did not cause." She pledged to continue to fight for justice. Yingluck was Thailand's first female prime minister. She is a member of the billionaire Shinawatra family. Former Thai leader Thaksin is her older brother and his daughter is the current Prime Minister Paetongtarn. Yingluck's administration implemented policies such as the rice subsidy scheme to appeal to farmers and low-income groups. She was ousted in 2014 shortly before a military coup, following huge anti-government protests. Yingluck left Thailand before being sentenced to 5 years in prison for criminal negligence over the rice program. She has since lived in self-imposed exile.
Yomiuri Shimbun
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Thailand's Ex-Prime Minister Yingluck Ordered to Pay for Losses from a Rice Subsidy Program
AP file photo Former Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra talks to reporters as she arrives at the Supreme Court for last day of the hearing in Bangkok, Thailand, July 21, 2017. BANGKOK (AP) — A Thai court on Thursday ordered exiled former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to pay more than 10 billion baht ($304 million) to compensate for losses incurred by a money-losing rice farming subsidy program that her administration had implemented more than a decade ago. The Supreme Administrative Court partially reversed a 2021 court ruling that cleared her. It found her guilty of severe negligence in relation to rice sales to other countries and said she failed to act on many government agencies' warnings of possible corruption. She was ordered to pay half of the damages estimated at more than 20 billion baht ($608 million). The court annulled a 2016 order by the Finance Ministry for her to pay 35.7 billion baht ($1.1 billion) in compensation, saying Yingluck was not proven directly responsible for the alleged corruption. The rice subsidy program was a flagship policy that helped Yingluck's Pheu Thai Party win the 2011 general election. Under the program, the government paid farmers about 50% more than they would have received on the global market, with the intention of driving up prices by warehousing the grain. But other rice-producing countries captured the international rice market by selling at competitive prices. Thailand as a result lost its position as the world's leading rice exporter and large amounts of rice sat unsold in government warehouses. After the ruling, Yingluck posted on her Facebook page that she had no intention to cause damages and was being held responsible 'for a debt I did not cause.' Her lawyer Norrawit Larlaeng said her legal team plans to request a retrial. He said that the government had already sold the leftover rice from the subsidy program for around 200 billion baht ($6.08 billion), which covers all damages estimated by the Finance Ministry. Yingluck, the first female prime minister of Thailand, came to power in 2011, five years after her brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was toppled in a coup and fled abroad. Yingluck also was forced out by a military coup in 2014, and fled the country in 2017, ahead of a court verdict. She's been living in exile since then. Thaksin, a highly popular but divisive political figure, returned home in 2023 before being granted clemency in a corruption trial because of his age and health. Thailand's current Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is Thaksin's daughter. Last year, Yingluck was cleared by a court on unrelated charges of mishandling funds for a government project in 2013. In December 2023, the court also cleared her of abuse of power in connection with a personnel transfer she had overseen.
NDTV
22-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Thai Ex-PM Yingluck Ordered To Pay $305 Million In Damages Over Rice Scheme
Bangkok: A Thai court on Thursday ordered self-exiled former premier Mrs. Yingluck Shinawatra to pay 10 billion baht ($305 million) in damages over a botched rice pledging scheme that saw her sentenced in 2017 to five years in prison for negligence. Mrs. Yingluck, one of four members of the billionaire Shinawatra family to have served as prime minister, has been living overseas to avoid jail for failing to prevent corruption in the rice scheme, which paid farmers up to 50% above market prices and caused massive losses to the state. The programme, a flagship policy of her populist Pheu Thai party, cost the state billions of dollars and led to millions of tons of rice going unsold. Thailand is the world's second-largest rice exporter. Thursday's ruling was on Yingluck's appeal against a previous order to pay 35 billion baht ($1.07 billion) in damages to the finance ministry. "The accused performed duties with gross negligence that caused damage to the state and therefore must pay compensation," the Supreme Administrative Court said, adding the previous order exceeded the legal threshold of her responsibility and was unlawful. Mrs. Yingluck, 57, came to power in 2011 after a landslide election victory and resigned just days before her government was ousted in a coup in 2014. She is the aunt of current Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and younger sister of former premier and political heavyweight Thaksin Shinawatra. Thursday's verdict comes less than two years after her family's Pheu Thai party returned to power after a decade in the political wilderness, coinciding with influential brother Thaksin coming home after 15 years in self-exile to avoid jail. The Shinawatras have consistently denied wrongdoing and have long maintained they have been victims of political vendettas by powerful figures in the conservative establishment and royalist military. Yingluck on Thursday said the order to pay 10 billion baht was excessive. "Even if I repaid it my entire life, it would never be enough," she said on social media. "I will continue to demand and fight for justice." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The Advertiser
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Thai ex-PM Yingluck told to pay $474m over rice scheme
A Thai court on Thursday ordered self-exiled former premier Yingluck Shinawatra to pay 10 billion baht ($A474 million) in damages over a botched rice-pledging scheme that saw her sentenced in 2017 to five years in prison for negligence. Yingluck, one of four members of the billionaire Shinawatra family to have served as prime minister, has been living overseas to avoid jail for failing to prevent corruption in the rice scheme, which paid farmers up to 50 per cent above market prices and caused massive losses to the state. The program, a flagship policy of her populist Pheu Thai party, cost the state billions of dollars and led to millions of tons of rice going unsold. Thailand is the world's second-largest rice exporter. Thursday's ruling was on Yingluck's appeal against a previous order to pay 35 billion baht in damages to the finance ministry. "The accused performed duties with gross negligence that caused damage to the state and therefore must pay compensation," the Supreme Administrative Court said, adding the previous order exceeded the legal threshold of her responsibility and was unlawful. Yingluck, 57, came to power in 2011 after a landslide election victory and resigned just days before her government was ousted in a coup in 2014. She is the aunt of current Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and younger sister of former premier and political heavyweight Thaksin Shinawatra. Thursday's verdict comes less than two years after her family's Pheu Thai party returned to power after a decade in the political wilderness, coinciding with influential brother Thaksin coming home after 15 years in self-exile to avoid jail. The Shinawatras have consistently denied wrongdoing and have long maintained they have been victims of political vendettas by powerful figures in the conservative establishment and royalist military. Yingluck on Thursday said the order to pay 10 billion baht was excessive. "Even if I repaid it my entire life, it would never be enough," she said on social media. "I will continue to demand and fight for justice." A Thai court on Thursday ordered self-exiled former premier Yingluck Shinawatra to pay 10 billion baht ($A474 million) in damages over a botched rice-pledging scheme that saw her sentenced in 2017 to five years in prison for negligence. Yingluck, one of four members of the billionaire Shinawatra family to have served as prime minister, has been living overseas to avoid jail for failing to prevent corruption in the rice scheme, which paid farmers up to 50 per cent above market prices and caused massive losses to the state. The program, a flagship policy of her populist Pheu Thai party, cost the state billions of dollars and led to millions of tons of rice going unsold. Thailand is the world's second-largest rice exporter. Thursday's ruling was on Yingluck's appeal against a previous order to pay 35 billion baht in damages to the finance ministry. "The accused performed duties with gross negligence that caused damage to the state and therefore must pay compensation," the Supreme Administrative Court said, adding the previous order exceeded the legal threshold of her responsibility and was unlawful. Yingluck, 57, came to power in 2011 after a landslide election victory and resigned just days before her government was ousted in a coup in 2014. She is the aunt of current Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and younger sister of former premier and political heavyweight Thaksin Shinawatra. Thursday's verdict comes less than two years after her family's Pheu Thai party returned to power after a decade in the political wilderness, coinciding with influential brother Thaksin coming home after 15 years in self-exile to avoid jail. The Shinawatras have consistently denied wrongdoing and have long maintained they have been victims of political vendettas by powerful figures in the conservative establishment and royalist military. Yingluck on Thursday said the order to pay 10 billion baht was excessive. "Even if I repaid it my entire life, it would never be enough," she said on social media. "I will continue to demand and fight for justice." A Thai court on Thursday ordered self-exiled former premier Yingluck Shinawatra to pay 10 billion baht ($A474 million) in damages over a botched rice-pledging scheme that saw her sentenced in 2017 to five years in prison for negligence. Yingluck, one of four members of the billionaire Shinawatra family to have served as prime minister, has been living overseas to avoid jail for failing to prevent corruption in the rice scheme, which paid farmers up to 50 per cent above market prices and caused massive losses to the state. The program, a flagship policy of her populist Pheu Thai party, cost the state billions of dollars and led to millions of tons of rice going unsold. Thailand is the world's second-largest rice exporter. Thursday's ruling was on Yingluck's appeal against a previous order to pay 35 billion baht in damages to the finance ministry. "The accused performed duties with gross negligence that caused damage to the state and therefore must pay compensation," the Supreme Administrative Court said, adding the previous order exceeded the legal threshold of her responsibility and was unlawful. Yingluck, 57, came to power in 2011 after a landslide election victory and resigned just days before her government was ousted in a coup in 2014. She is the aunt of current Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and younger sister of former premier and political heavyweight Thaksin Shinawatra. Thursday's verdict comes less than two years after her family's Pheu Thai party returned to power after a decade in the political wilderness, coinciding with influential brother Thaksin coming home after 15 years in self-exile to avoid jail. The Shinawatras have consistently denied wrongdoing and have long maintained they have been victims of political vendettas by powerful figures in the conservative establishment and royalist military. Yingluck on Thursday said the order to pay 10 billion baht was excessive. "Even if I repaid it my entire life, it would never be enough," she said on social media. "I will continue to demand and fight for justice." A Thai court on Thursday ordered self-exiled former premier Yingluck Shinawatra to pay 10 billion baht ($A474 million) in damages over a botched rice-pledging scheme that saw her sentenced in 2017 to five years in prison for negligence. Yingluck, one of four members of the billionaire Shinawatra family to have served as prime minister, has been living overseas to avoid jail for failing to prevent corruption in the rice scheme, which paid farmers up to 50 per cent above market prices and caused massive losses to the state. The program, a flagship policy of her populist Pheu Thai party, cost the state billions of dollars and led to millions of tons of rice going unsold. Thailand is the world's second-largest rice exporter. Thursday's ruling was on Yingluck's appeal against a previous order to pay 35 billion baht in damages to the finance ministry. "The accused performed duties with gross negligence that caused damage to the state and therefore must pay compensation," the Supreme Administrative Court said, adding the previous order exceeded the legal threshold of her responsibility and was unlawful. Yingluck, 57, came to power in 2011 after a landslide election victory and resigned just days before her government was ousted in a coup in 2014. She is the aunt of current Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and younger sister of former premier and political heavyweight Thaksin Shinawatra. Thursday's verdict comes less than two years after her family's Pheu Thai party returned to power after a decade in the political wilderness, coinciding with influential brother Thaksin coming home after 15 years in self-exile to avoid jail. The Shinawatras have consistently denied wrongdoing and have long maintained they have been victims of political vendettas by powerful figures in the conservative establishment and royalist military. Yingluck on Thursday said the order to pay 10 billion baht was excessive. "Even if I repaid it my entire life, it would never be enough," she said on social media. "I will continue to demand and fight for justice."
