Former Thai PM Thaksin Returns Bangkok Ahead Supreme Court Imprisonment Ruling

Thaksin Shinawatra, former Prime Minister of Thailand, returned to Bangkok on Monday ahead of a Supreme Court ruling that could result in imprisonment for his prolonged hospital stay instead of serving prison time. Thaksin's private jet landed at Don Mueang International Airport after a diverted flight from Dubai, originally intended for Singapore, due to an immigration delay. The court is set to rule on allegations of graft and abuse of power related to cases from before 2006, for which Thaksin was previously sentenced to eight years, later reduced by royal clemency. Thaksin's daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, leader of the Pheu Thai Party, confirmed his return but was too busy to receive him at the airport. Thaksin, who spent over 15 years in self-exile, had been kept out of prison during his extended hospital stay from mid-2023 to early 2024. Upon his 2023 return, he was initially detained but moved to a hospital the same night, with the Supreme Court's decision expected to clarify his legal status.