The judicial probe centres on Thaksin’s sentence for corruption and abuse of power after he returned to Thailand in August 2023 following years lived in exile.
Initially sentenced to eight years behind bars, he never spent a night in a cell – whisked almost immediately from a detention centre to a private room in Bangkok’s Police General Hospital.
His transfer, and the timing of his return, which coincided with his Pheu Thai party forming a new government, fuelled public suspicion of a backroom deal and allegations of special treatment.
A royal pardon saw his sentence reduced to just one year, before he was set free in February 2024 as part of an early release scheme for elderly prisoners.
The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Position began investigating in April, and has probed prison and medical officials to determine if the sentence was properly served.
Thaksin’s daughter prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was felled by her own court case last month, sacked by judges who found she breached ministerial ethics during a border row with Cambodia.
Pheu Thai’s one-time ally, conservative tycoon Anutin Charnvirakul, formed his own coalition to replace the party which had monopolised Thailand’s top office since 2023 elections.
Anutin officially took office on Sunday, saying he had faced “legal bullying” in the past but pledging his administration would let the law “take its course”.
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