Former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra to Stand Trial for Insulting Monarchy

Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is set to go on trial next month on charges of insulting the monarchy, marking a significant development in the country’s ongoing political turmoil.

Thaksin, who returned to Thailand last year after 15 years in exile, will face charges under Thailand’s strict lese-majeste law and the Computer Crime Act. The allegations stem from an interview he gave to South Korean media in 2015 while in self-imposed exile.

The 74-year-old billionaire politician was first elected as prime minister in 2001 but was removed in a military coup five years later. His populist political movement continued to win elections even after his exile, but was repeatedly brought down by coups or court rulings.

Thaksin’s return to Thailand last year coincided with his daughter’s party taking power as part of a coalition government. However, his legal troubles have persisted, with the latest charges brought by the generals who seized power from his sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, in 2014.

Critics of Thailand’s royal defamation laws, which protect King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his family, argue that they have been used to stifle legitimate political debate. More than 270 people have been charged with lese-majeste since protests demanding monarchy reform began in 2020.

Thaksin’s lawyer has stated that he will fight the charges and prove his innocence in court. Despite his release on parole earlier this year, Thaksin’s legal battles continue, highlighting the complex and contentious relationship between politics and the monarchy in Thailand.