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The billionaire convicted of abuse of power and conflict of interest Released on parole in February After being detained for six months.
In 2023, he made a dramatic return from 15 years of self-imposed exile, during which he had been a central figure in multiple political upheavals.
Thaksin’s case is the highest-profile of more than 270 cases prosecuted in Thailand in recent years under lèse-majesté law, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for each act deemed to insult the monarchy.
The largest opposition party in parliament, Kadima, is in trouble over its campaign to change the law, and the Constitutional Court will decide whether to dissolve the party, which would ban it from holding leadership positions.
As founder of the populist Pheu Thai Party, Thaksin has overseen victory in all but one election since 2001, while his three Shinawatra governments were all overturned by coups or court rulings.
The relatively brief period of detention following his return has fueled speculation that he has reached a deal with conservatives and bitter rivals in the military, which he has long accused of seeking to suppress the pro-Thaksin government. His allies deny any such deal.
The Pheu Thai Party leads the current government, with Thaksin’s business ally Sreeta Dawisin as prime minister and Thaksin’s daughter Padangdan Shinawatra as party chairperson.
Commentators expect Thaksin, who insists he is out of politics, to seek to exert significant political influence behind the scenes, raising the prospect of another clash with powerful rivals in the establishment.
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