Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra still faces a criminal charge of lese majeste from 2016, and the attorney-general will decide if he will be indicted, the OAG spokesman said on Tuesday.

Thaksin was alleged to have defamed the monarchy in comments made in Seoul, South Korea, on May 21, 2015.

According to a spokesman, on Sept 19, 2016, the then attorney-general decided to indict Thaksin. At the time, Thaksin was a fugitive and the former attorney-general told police to seek an arrest warrant from the Criminal Court. The court issued the warrant.

After Thaksin returned to the country on Aug 22, 2023, police presented the arrest warrant to the Department of Corrections and sought his detention in the event that the 74-year-old former prime minister was released.

On Jan 17 this year, public prosecutors and police informed Thaksin of the lese majeste charge and a related computer crime charge. Thaksin denied the charges.

In May 2015, Thaksin gave an interviewin Seoul and claimed privy councillors supported the May 22, 2014, coup that ousted the government of his younger sister Ying­luck Shinawatra.

A video clip of the interview was viewed widely on Thai social media.

Police believe comments made during the interview could have been in violation under the lese majeste law and the computer crime law. Section 112 of the Criminal Code, known as the lese majeste law, provides for punishment of 3-15 years in prison for each offence.