BANGKOK: Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived again at his Bangkok house from police hospital early Sunday, simply six months after his dramatic return to the dominion from 15 years of self-imposed exile.
The controversial billionaire, twice elected premier and ousted in a 2006 navy coup, was jailed for eight years on graft and abuse-of-power prices upon his return in August.
However his sentence was reduce to 1 yr by King Maha Vajiralongkorn inside days of his return and the federal government mentioned final week the 74-year-old was eligible for early launch due to his age and well being.
Thaksin — sporting a neck brace and sitting subsequent to his daughters Paetongtarn and Pintongta — was pushed away Sunday from the police hospital in central Bangkok the place he has spent the final half yr.
A handful of individuals protesting his launch had gathered in entrance of the hospital.
The automobile then drove to Thaksin’s house, the place a welcome-home banner was tied throughout the gates.
The precise particulars of his launch are usually not clear, however Thaksin could also be topic to monitoring — probably with an ankle tag — and restrictions on his proper to journey.
The previous Manchester Metropolis proprietor’s arrival in Thailand got here on the identical day his Pheu Thai occasion returned to authorities in alliance with pro-military events, main many to conclude {that a} backroom deal had been struck to chop his jail time.
The rumours grew stronger when he was transferred to a police hospital inside hours of being sentenced due to his poor well being.
He was reportedly affected by chest tightness and hypertension when he was admitted to hospital, and his household have mentioned he underwent two operations within the following months.
The federal government has denied any deal and Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, of the Pheu Thai occasion, has insisted “he already served his jail time” — though it isn’t clear that Thaksin has spent any time in a jail cell.
Energy tussle
The previous telecoms tycoon is likely one of the most influential however divisive figures in fashionable Thai historical past.
Thaksin is beloved by tens of millions of rural Thais for his populist insurance policies within the early 2000s however has lengthy been opposed by the nation’s royalist and pro-military institution.
The tussle for dominance between the institution and Thaksin and his allies has largely outlined Thai politics over the previous 20 years.
Police laid lese-majeste prices towards him final week over feedback he made in South Korea nearly a decade in the past, though it isn’t clear whether or not prosecutors will take the case to court docket.
His critics suspected him of pulling strings within the kingdom even from exile, which he spent largely in Dubai earlier than his return.
Thaksin’s sister Yingluck Shinawatra was elected prime minister for Pheu Thai in 2011, solely to be ousted in a coup herself in 2014.
His daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra, now the occasion’s chief, was one of many main faces in its marketing campaign for final yr’s common election and has been tipped as a doable future prime minister.
The election final Might marked the primary time in additional than 20 years {that a} Thaksin-linked occasion didn’t win essentially the most seats in parliament.
Pheu Thai was crushed into second place by the upstart progressive Transfer Ahead Social gathering (MFP).
However pro-establishment forces within the senate blocked MFP’s chief Pita Limjaroenrat from changing into prime minister, and Pheu Thai’s cope with military-linked events then shut the newcomers out of presidency.
The controversial billionaire, twice elected premier and ousted in a 2006 navy coup, was jailed for eight years on graft and abuse-of-power prices upon his return in August.
However his sentence was reduce to 1 yr by King Maha Vajiralongkorn inside days of his return and the federal government mentioned final week the 74-year-old was eligible for early launch due to his age and well being.
Thaksin — sporting a neck brace and sitting subsequent to his daughters Paetongtarn and Pintongta — was pushed away Sunday from the police hospital in central Bangkok the place he has spent the final half yr.
A handful of individuals protesting his launch had gathered in entrance of the hospital.
The automobile then drove to Thaksin’s house, the place a welcome-home banner was tied throughout the gates.
The precise particulars of his launch are usually not clear, however Thaksin could also be topic to monitoring — probably with an ankle tag — and restrictions on his proper to journey.
The previous Manchester Metropolis proprietor’s arrival in Thailand got here on the identical day his Pheu Thai occasion returned to authorities in alliance with pro-military events, main many to conclude {that a} backroom deal had been struck to chop his jail time.
The rumours grew stronger when he was transferred to a police hospital inside hours of being sentenced due to his poor well being.
He was reportedly affected by chest tightness and hypertension when he was admitted to hospital, and his household have mentioned he underwent two operations within the following months.
The federal government has denied any deal and Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, of the Pheu Thai occasion, has insisted “he already served his jail time” — though it isn’t clear that Thaksin has spent any time in a jail cell.
Energy tussle
The previous telecoms tycoon is likely one of the most influential however divisive figures in fashionable Thai historical past.
Thaksin is beloved by tens of millions of rural Thais for his populist insurance policies within the early 2000s however has lengthy been opposed by the nation’s royalist and pro-military institution.
The tussle for dominance between the institution and Thaksin and his allies has largely outlined Thai politics over the previous 20 years.
Police laid lese-majeste prices towards him final week over feedback he made in South Korea nearly a decade in the past, though it isn’t clear whether or not prosecutors will take the case to court docket.
His critics suspected him of pulling strings within the kingdom even from exile, which he spent largely in Dubai earlier than his return.
Thaksin’s sister Yingluck Shinawatra was elected prime minister for Pheu Thai in 2011, solely to be ousted in a coup herself in 2014.
His daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra, now the occasion’s chief, was one of many main faces in its marketing campaign for final yr’s common election and has been tipped as a doable future prime minister.
The election final Might marked the primary time in additional than 20 years {that a} Thaksin-linked occasion didn’t win essentially the most seats in parliament.
Pheu Thai was crushed into second place by the upstart progressive Transfer Ahead Social gathering (MFP).
However pro-establishment forces within the senate blocked MFP’s chief Pita Limjaroenrat from changing into prime minister, and Pheu Thai’s cope with military-linked events then shut the newcomers out of presidency.
