Thailand’s Supreme Court has ruled that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra must return to prison to serve a one-year sentence, rejecting his claim that his six-month stay in a hospital should count as time served. The decision marks a dramatic turn in the country’s political landscape, as Thaksin—who remains one of the most influential figures in Thai politics despite years in exile—now faces incarceration just months after returning home.
Thaksin, 76, had been convicted in multiple corruption-related cases dating back more than a decade, though his return to Thailand in 2023 was widely seen as part of a behind-the-scenes political arrangement. Following his homecoming, he was quickly transferred to a hospital for what authorities described as ongoing health concerns, and he effectively avoided jail time. However, critics accused the government of offering him preferential treatment and shielding him from accountability. On September 9, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that Thaksin’s hospital stay was not justified as a substitute for imprisonment, ordering him to serve the remainder of his sentence in custody. The ruling comes amid political upheaval in Thailand following the collapse of a Shinawatra-aligned government earlier this year, further complicating the country’s already fragile political environment.
Supporters of Thaksin argue that the case against him has always been politically motivated, designed to weaken his powerful network and the populist movement he built, which continues to command loyalty among millions of rural and working-class Thais. Opponents, however, say the decision is a long-overdue assertion of the rule of law, signaling that no one is above accountability. The development raises new uncertainty in Thailand’s political trajectory. Analysts suggest that Thaksin’s imprisonment could trigger protests by his supporters, deepen divisions in the electorate, and possibly reignite cycles of street unrest that have defined much of the nation’s modern political history. At the same time, his detention could weaken the Shinawatra family’s ability to influence the political process, opening the door for rivals to consolidate power.
As Thaksin prepares to begin his prison term, Thailand faces a period of heightened tension, with the ruling seen not only as a legal matter but as a pivotal moment in the ongoing struggle between populist movements and the country’s conservative establishment.