A Thai criminal court is poised to rule on Friday regarding whether ex-leader Thaksin Shinawatra violated the strict lese-majesty laws of the country. This ruling is one of three legal cases that could potentially determine the fate of Thailand’s influential Shinawatra family.
In 2015, Thaksin allegedly insulted the monarchy during an interview with the Chosun Ilbo, a South Korean newspaper. Despite his adamant denials and public pledges of loyalty to the Thai king, who is constitutionally revered, this case could carry substantial repercussions. Thailand has some of the most stringent lese-majesty laws worldwide, where criticizing the monarchy can lead to a prison sentence ranging from three to 15 years. Over 280 individuals have been charged under this law since 2020, often for politically-motivated reasons that silence dissenting voices.
Apart from this case, Thaksin is also embroiled in multiple legal battles. The Constitutional Court will soon determine whether his daughter, the currently suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, should be expelled from her position for discussing a border dispute with Cambodia’s ex-leader, Hun Sen, in a leaked phone call.
A separate case also accuses Thaksin of circumventing his prison sentence on dubious health grounds when he returned from self-imposed exile in 2023. His 15-year absence wasquées to evade legal charges he insisted were politically driven. Thaksin, a former billionaire businessman and ex-owner of Manchester City Football Club, originally won a significant election in 2001, known for improving rural livelihoods but also accused of corruption and human rights violations, leading to his ousting in a military coup in 2006. His sister Yingluck Shinawatra also faced removal from office following similar political upheavals.
Dr. Napon Jatusripitak, a visiting fellow at ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, highlights that these legal actions underscore the power imbalance between elected officials and unelected forces in Thailand. The diminishing popularity of the Shinawatra family, particularly after perceived failures of their pro-reform party and Thaksin’s political maneuvering to maintain their influence, has shifted public opinion.
Regardless of the outcome of these cases, the continued judicial interventions in Thailand’s political landscape threaten to instigate further political instability in the country.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/22/thailand-former-pm-thaksin-shinawatra-royal-insult-lese-majesty-court-case
