Former Thailand Prime Minister Shinawatra Faces Trial for Disrespect

Thailand’s attorney-general is set to charge former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for allegedly disrespecting the monarchy. 

The former Prime Minister is accused of breaking Thailand’s strict royal insult law during a 2015 interview with a South Korean newspaper, the Chosun Ilbo.

The government spokesperson Prayuth Bejraguna, stated that Thaksin will be required to appear before the Office of the Attorney General on June 18 before he is taken to court for charges related to Thailand’s harsh lese-majeste law, known as one of the strictest globally.

He is also facing allegations of violating the Computer Crime Act.

“The attorney general has decided to indict Thaksin on all charges,” Prayuth Bejraguna said. 

“Thaksin will need to appear before the Office of the Attorney General on June 18, after which he will be taken to court. He could not appear at Wednesday’s hearing due to a Covid-19 infection.”

However, Thaksin has denied all the accusations leveled against him, further reiterating his loyalty to the monarchy.

Thaksin, who was prime minister from 2001 until a military coup removed him in 2006, made a dramatic return to Thailand last August after 15 years in exile and was arrested.

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He had been living in exile since 2008 but came back to Thailand to begin an eight-year prison term.

He was later released on parole in February after spending six months in a Bangkok jail for corruption-related crimes.

Likewise, Thaksin’s lawyer has expressed his readiness to prove his client’s innocence in court.

Notably, over 270 people have been charged under lese-majeste laws since protests began in 2020, demanding major reforms to the monarchy.

Thaksin profile

Thaksin Shinawatra was born in July 1949 in Chiang Mai, China.

He started a small computer business in 1987 and turned it into Thailand’s biggest telecommunications company, Shin Corporation.

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Thaksin ventured into politics in the 1990s and served as a foreign minister and later as deputy prime minister.

Furthermore, he became Thailand’s Prime Minister in 2001 serving to 2006.

In 2006, there were claims that he disrespected the royal family, which led to protests by a group called the People’s Alliance for Democracy. The military took control of the government in a coup while Thaksin was away in New York to speak at the United Nations.

Two years after the coup, Thaksin was found guilty by Thailand’s top court for breaking laws about conflicts of interest during his time in office. He was given a two-year prison sentence even though he was not in the country at the time of the verdict.

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