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- Thailand's top court orders former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to spend one year in jail</p>
<p>Helen Regan, Kocha Olarn, CNNSeptember 9, 2025 at 1:16 AM</p>
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<p>Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrives at the Supreme Court in Bangkok on September 9, 2025. - Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty Images</p>
<p>Thailand's top court ordered the influential former prime minister and billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra to prison for one year on Tuesday in a dramatic turn of events for the embattled political titan.</p>
<p>Thaksin, 76, a towering and divisive figure, served as prime minister from 2001 until he was ousted in a military coup in 2006. He made a dramatic return to Thailand in 2023 after 15 years in self-imposed exile, and was sentenced to eight years in prison for conflict of interest, abuse of power and corruption during his time in power.</p>
<p>Despite the sentence, Thaksin – who once owned Manchester City Football Club – never spent a night in a prison cell. He served his time in a luxury suite at Bangkok's Police General Hospital after complaining of tightness in his chest, high blood pressure and low oxygen levels.</p>
<p>Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn then reduced Thaksin's prison sentence to one year, before he was released on parole six months later in February 2024.</p>
<p>On Tuesday the Supreme Court ruled that Thaksin's prolonged hospital stay last year was unlawful and ordered him to serve his sentence at Bangkok Remand Prison, according to the court.</p>
<p>The nature of Thaksin's detention raised questions that he received special treatment.</p>
<p>And many analysts believe Thaksin struck a deal with the country's powerful conservative and royalist establishment for his return in exchange for a reduced jail term, lenient treatment, or a possible pardon. Thaksin returned on the same day his family's political party took up the reins of government once again.</p>
<p>Thaksin has denied making such an arrangement.</p>
<p>On Tuesday, the Supreme Court determined that Thaksin's time in hospital did not count as time served.</p>
<p>The court ruled that Thaksin knew or was aware that his medical conditions could have been managed as an outpatient, "without the need for prolonged inpatient care."</p>
<p>"The defendant benefited from remaining in the hospital without having to return to custody at Bangkok Remand Prison until his eventual release," the court statement said.</p>
<p>In June, Thailand's medical council suspended two doctors who enabled Thaksin to spend his sentence in hospital, ruling they issued documents that contained false medical information, the Reuters news agency reported. A prison doctor was also cautioned for failing to meet medical standards in referring Thaksin for hospital treatment.</p>
<p>In a social media post after the verdict, Thaksin said he accepted the court's decision.</p>
<p>"Today I choose to look forward, letting all past matters come to a resolution," he said. "Though I may lack physical freedom, I still have the freedom of thought for the benefit of the nation and people."</p>
<p>Speaking to reporters outside court, Thaksin's daughter and former prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, said "My father and our family remain holding high spirits."</p>
<p>She added that the Shinawatras' Pheu Thai political party "will carry on doing (our) political duty as the opposition party."</p>
<p>A crowd of Thaksin's supporters had also gathered outside the court.</p>
<p>"I am so sad today," Oy, 64, told CNN while wiping away tears. Oy, who gave only her nickname, said that without Thaksin's universal healthcare initiative, her husband wouldn't have received life-saving heart surgery.</p>
<p>Blow to a dynasty</p>
<p>Thaksin was present at court to hear the verdict. On Thursday, he flew to Dubai — where he spent much of his time in exile — on his private jet for "a health check-up," prompting many in the kingdom to speculate that he had fled the country.</p>
<p>The verdict was the final of three judgements against the powerful Shinawatra family, which has dominated Thailand's turbulent and often violent political scene for more than 20 years.</p>
<p>The political patriarch recently survived a lese majeste case against him that could have seen him jailed for up to 15 years.</p>
<p>His daughter did not get off so lightly. Former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was removed from office by the Constitutional Court less than two weeks ago over a leaked phone call she had with Cambodia's former leader that breached ethics rules.</p>
<p>Over the past 25 years, Thaksin has built one of the country's most famous and successful political dynasties, with allied candidates winning almost every election since 2001.</p>
<p>But that dynasty has long been loathed by the Thai establishment which, with the help of both the military and courts, has frequently toppled or tied up Shinawatra-run governments.</p>
<p>During, his exile Thaksin continued to be a driving force in politics behind the scenes.</p>
<p>His sister Yingluck ran a government until a court ruling ended her tenure followed by a 2014 military coup, while Thaksin's brother-in-law was also in charge of Thailand briefly during his absence.</p>
<p>Many observers feel that the family's power in Thailand is diminished, and its long dominant political machine could finally be out of steam.</p>
<p>Thailand is at a crucial juncture. Over the past two decades the kingdom has largely been ruled by the Shinawatras or their proxies, or the military.</p>
<p>Last week, that changed when the Shinawatra's Pheu Thai Party was ousted from government.</p>
<p>Anutin Charnvirakul, a veteran of Thai politics, won a vote in parliament to replace Paetongtarn and become Thailand's next prime minister — the country's third in two years.</p>
<p>The former interior minister who spearheaded Thailand's legalization of cannabis, and his government took office on Sunday after obtaining a royal endorsement from King Vajiralongkorn.</p>
<p>This is a developing story and will be .</p>
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