News Forum - BREAKING NEWS: Former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra granted royal pardon, sentence reduced to 1 year

[Thaiger]

Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been granted a royal pardon, effectively reducing his punishment to a one-year sentence. According to the announcement published in the Royal Gazette this afternoon, King Rama X extended royal clemency to the 74 year old Thaksin, slashing his previous sentence of seven years, eleven months, and 20 days down … …

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[KhaoYai]

Just heard this on the BBC:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-66679570

[Fanta]

And maybe eligible for general parole after 1/3 of his sentence served?

I’m still betting on Thaksin being released on Dec 05 - Rama IX’s 96th birthday.

[HolyCowCm]

 

[KhaoYai]

I can't say I'm surprised, I think we all expected that some deal had been done but now its a reality, I have to say that I'm disgusted - not only be the obvious underhand deal that's gone on between the Generals and Pheu Thai but the total disregard for the rights of the people to expect justice to be applied equitably.

Without commenting on the accuracy of the court's decison to find Thaksin guilty or the legitimacy of the charges brought against him in the first place - If an ordinary Thai man had been found guilty of the same offences and sentenced to 8 years in prison - would he receive the same treatment?

Its pretty obvious where this came from and I doubt it had much to do with the palace - no matter what method of conveyance was used.

A shameful course of events, going back years:

Thaksin's power increasing, now threatening the popularity of 'others'.

Military Coup.

Prayuth returns the country to 'democracy', changes his jacket and runs for PM.

Prayuth 'wins' the election even though in some provinces more people appeared to vote than were actually eligble........ahem!!!

Thaksin found guilty of corruption and abuse of power in absentia

New Constitition introduced which basically means that the generals still decide who's going to run the country.

Move Forward win the next election in a landslide victory promising real democracy and institutional reform.

New constitution kicks in and Move Forward's leader prevented from being Prime Minister.

A deal is done to install the next largest vote winners into government but they have to drop their own reformist polices.

Thaksin returns, doesn't spend even one night in prison and has now more or less been pardoned.

OK, so I missed out a few things like the shenanigins with Thaksin's daughter but it changes nothing - the whole thing is rotten to the core.  Clearly Prayuth & Co didn't know that Move Forward would win the election but it mattered not - he had The Senate covering his back.

This deal was done months ago, who in their right mind would voluntarily return to a country to spend 8 years in prison? Especially when he is a multi billionaire who can live very comfortably anywhere.

So very sad that Prayuth & Co have absolutely no respect for the (powerless) Thai people at all.

 

 

[KhaoYai]

14 minutes ago, Fanta said:

And maybe eligible for general parole after 1/3 of his sentence served?

I’m still betting on Thaksin being released on Dec 05 - Rama IX’s 96th birthday.

Do you think he will actually return to prison?

[HolyCowCm]

Everyone better think about how you post to this. It reaches into the don't talk abouts. 

[Fanta]

2 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Do you think he will actually return to prison?

He is in a hospital ward inside a prison. If you mean will Thaksin ever enter the general population inside the prison then no way in the world. If anything was to happen to Thaksin anywhere inside a prison, heads would literally roll. 

[KhaoYai]

Yes that's what I mean - although last time I heard, he was at the Police Hospital.  Wherever he is - now or for the rest of his 'sentence' - it won't be anything like a prison. I doubt even the doors will be locked.

[HolyCowCm]

12 minutes ago, Fanta said:

He is in a hospital ward inside a prison. If you mean will Thaksin ever enter the general population inside the prison then no way in the world. If anything was to happen to Thaksin anywhere inside a prison, heads would literally roll. 

Nothing is free above or under the table.

[KhaoYai]

17 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

Everyone better think about how you post to this. It reaches into the don't talk abouts. 

Agree that care must be taken but this subject is going to be talked about constantly in both Thai and expat circles and I think even Prayuth will expect that. The courts would be full for the next 10 years if they decided to prosecute. Just no direct criticism.

[Fanta]

4 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Yes that's what I mean - although last time I heard, he was at the Police Hospital.  Wherever he is - now or for the rest of his 'sentence' - it won't be anything like a prison. I doubt even the doors will be locked.

Ahh… a police hospital makes sense and Thaksin will do whatever he wants in that place. Any ex cop billionaire deserves no less  

[Pinetree]

40 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

is going to be talked about constantly in both Thai and expat circles

Really?  All the expats I know couldn't care less. It's a matter for Thailand and the Thais and I suspect that it's a matter of supreme indifference to most expats.

[Pinetree]

40 minutes ago, Fanta said:

Ahh… a police hospital makes sense and Thaksin will do whatever he wants in that place. Any ex cop billionaire deserves no less  

He should be able to,  as he built it way back,  using his own money. 

[Fanta]

2 minutes ago, Pinetree said:

He should be able to,  as he built it way back,  using his own money. 

Just like Pablo Escobar …. 

[Grumpish]

1 hour ago, KhaoYai said:

Do you think he will actually return to prison?

Thought he was already out and safely installed in the Presidential Suite in a hospital.

[Pinetree]

18 minutes ago, Grumpish said:

Thought he was already out and safely installed in the Presidential Suite in a hospital.

He is, apparently

[Totoro]

A well planned and executed coup d'état. 

 

[Vigo]

I doubt anyone is surprised. There are however a few aspects of the case that are not  clear:

- My reading of this is that the criminal convictions still stand . Penalty has been reduced, but wrong doing has not been vacated.

- As a convicted person, does he still qualify for pensions, and supplementary benefits like enhanced medical care?

Does anyone find it curious that common Thai folk are unable to access advanced medical care, but a  prison inmate named Thaksin has a private suite at a hospital with access to Thailand's best physicians?  Asking for a friend  

[Pinetree]

3 minutes ago, Vigo said:

As a convicted person, does he still qualify for pensions, and supplementary benefits like enhanced medical care?

He's a billionaire???

He built that hospital and I understand that he still supports it financially? 

[Vigo]

Understood. What is not clear is if he is paying for the  medical care as is customary for the common folk, or whether he still qualifies for free enhanced care as a former PM,  or cop and if he  still qualifies for the   pension? Did he lose any of these benefits?

[Marc26]

1 hour ago, Pinetree said:

Really?  All the expats I know couldn't care less. It's a matter for Thailand and the Thais and I suspect that it's a matter of supreme indifference to most expats.

Expats who have kids in Thailand may care 

[PATRIQUE]

5 hours ago, Vigo said:

Understood. What is not clear is if he is paying for the  medical care as is customary for the common folk, or whether he still qualifies for free enhanced care as a former PM,  or cop and if he  still qualifies for the   pension? Did he lose any of these benefits?

This is a real strange question you know ..... ?

and its not very important anyway ..... as he owns a couple of the top private clinics and if the docs sends a bill he s gona be sacked

[TheDirtyDurian]

Interesting Paradox, on the one hand the guy who wins an election is denied power. 

On the other a guy who wins two with an outright majority and gets removed in an illegal coup gets a royal pardon. 

[Vigo]

1 hour ago, PATRIQUE said:

This is a real strange question you know ..... ?

and its not very important anyway ..... as he owns a couple of the top private clinics and if the docs sends a bill he s gona be sacked

Not a strange question. The pensions and benefits are worth a small fortune by  Thai  standards. In most countries an official who is convicted of corruption loses the pension and associated retirement benefits. Whether or not he keeps his benefits will indicate whether the penalty imposed was a true judicial penalty.

In respect to the private clinics, which clinics does he own? There is a lot of hot air that blew up the man's wealth and asset base. There is no indication that he owns any medical clinics.  The realty is that $1.14 billion of the $2.49 billion of Shin assets were seized years ago. The company rebranded a decade ago and redeployed its assets. It has 4 principal holdings;  Shin Satellite and Advanced Info Service (AIS). It also holds stakes in Thai AirAsia, Capital OK a consumer retail finance company, an inhouse advertising firm, and ITV. There is no mention of medical clinics or hospitals.