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Agence France-Presse

Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was cleared on Friday of royal defamation charges, relieving one of the threats to his embattled dynasty, which has dominated Thai politics for two decades.
Thaksin’s family has long jousted with the nation’s pro-military, pro-monarchy elite, who view their populist movement as a threat to Thailand’s traditional social order.
Their tenure as a defining force in Thai politics has unfolded in a saga of coups, street protests and court cases as they have grappled for the kingdom’s levers of power.
The 76-year-old Thaksin had faced up to 15 years in prison under laws criminalising criticism of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his family, but was cleared after a trial that unfolded over two months.
“The court dismissed the charges against Thaksin, ruling that the evidence presented was insufficient,” his lawyer Winyat Chatmontree told reporters at Thailand’s Criminal Court in Bangkok.

But his dynasty remains on the ropes, with his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra currently suspended as prime minister and facing her own reckoning next week, with a court decision due that could see her thrown out of office.
Thaksin left court ahead of his lawyer, smiling and telling the press his case had been “dismissed” without providing any further comment.
“The court has done its job properly, but I don’t think we can relax yet,” said 66-year-old food vendor Kamol Orahanta, among around 150 Thaksin supporters gathered outside the court.
“I believe there are still some haters who will try to topple him by other means,” he said.


The case stemmed from decade-old remarks Thaksin made in South Korean media relating to the 2014 military coup that overthrew his sister, Yingluck.
Even though he has been cleared, Agence France-Presse was not able to report on the comments in detail because the lèse-majesté law is so strict that doing so could in itself trigger criminal charges.
Thaksin’s acquittal gives him room to manoeuvre as Shinawatra heiress Paetongtarn’s position hangs in the balance.
Paetongtarn has been suspended from office by the Constitutional Court for alleged ethical misconduct in handling a border conflict with Cambodia. The 39-year-old leader will learn on August 29 if she can return to office, or is permanently disqualified.
“I still believe that Thaksin Shinawatra will remain active in Thai politics, even if his daughter is removed,” political analyst Yuttaporn Issarachai said.

“Whoever becomes prime minister, the real player behind the scenes is always going to be Thaksin.”
Twice elected prime minister in the early 2000s, Thaksin fled Thailand and lived in self-imposed exile for 15 years after he was ousted in a military coup, finally returning to the kingdom in August 2023.
He landed in Bangkok on the same day his family’s Pheu Thai party took office at the head of a coalition government backed by their conservative former enemies, fuelling suspicions a back room deal had been struck.
On arrival, Thaksin was immediately sentenced to eight years in prison on corruption and abuse of power charges dating back to his time in office.
But instead of going to jail, he was whisked to a private room at a police hospital because of health problems.
Days later, the king cut his sentence to one year, and in February 2024, he was freed as part of an early release scheme for elderly prisoners.

His handling has led to another legal case, set to conclude on September 9, arguing that because he never served time in a jail cell, he was not eligible for early release.
Prosecutions for lèse-majesté, known as 112 in Thailand for its section in the criminal code, have increased sharply since anti-government protests in 2020, some of which openly criticised the monarchy.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, a group providing legal services in many of the cases, says that more than 280 people have been prosecuted under section 112 in the last five years.
The law says anyone who “defames, insults or threatens” the king, queen, heir or regent can face up to 15 years in prison.
Rights groups and critics say the law is now interpreted so broadly as to stifle dissent and legitimate debate.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg


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Thai ex-PM Thaksin cleared of royal insult charges, but political dynasty’s future uncertain

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra waves after arriving at the Criminal Court to hear the court’s decision on charges of insulting the monarchy, in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday. Photo: EPA

Winyat Chatmontree, lawyer for former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, talks to the media after the court acquitted Thaksin at the Criminal Court, in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday. Photo: EPA

Suspended Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra arrives at the Constitutional Court in order to testify on a phone call controversy case with Cambodia’s Hun Sen, in Bangkok, Thailand on Thursday. Photo: EPA

Supporters of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra express joy outside the Criminal Court in Bangkok, Thailand after the court acquitted him. Photo: EPA

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Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is swarmed by reporters on Tuesday after a cabinet meeting at Government House in Bangkok. Photo: AFP

Former Thai prime minister Srettha Thavisin was removed by the Constitutional Court last year over a breach of ethics. Photo: AFP

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Well-wishers bow in front of an image of Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol at Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok in 2022. Photo: AFP

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Thaksin Shinawatra (left) hugs his daughter and newly elected prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, at Pheu Thai party headquarters in Bangkok last August. Photo: AP

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The acquittal offers relief, but uncertainty surrounds Thaksin’s political dynasty as his daughter, Paetongtarn, faces legal challenges


The acquittal offers relief, but uncertainty surrounds Thaksin’s political dynasty as his daughter, Paetongtarn, faces legal challenges.


Thai ex-PM Thaksin cleared of royal insult charges, but political dynasty’s future uncertain

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The acquittal offers relief, but uncertainty surrounds Thaksin’s political dynasty as his daughter, Paetongtarn, faces legal challenges

The acquittal offers relief, but uncertainty surrounds Thaksin’s political dynasty as his daughter, Paetongtarn, faces legal challenges