The Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand (NSPRT) and the Dharma Army have called on the Medical Council of Thailand to clarify ethical and medical issues related to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's treatment at Police General Hospital (PGH) during his jail term.
the leader of the NSPRT, demanded that the council expedite the release of its findings regarding Thaksin’s illness and treatment, arguing that medical conditions can be scientifically verified and do not require prolonged deliberation.
Mr Pichit also called on Thaksin to provide testimony, because without it, the case might be deemed as incomplete and not involving all parties.
Mr Pichit criticised the council’s postponement of discussing the matter, initially scheduled for April 10, due to the submission of additional documents from the hospital and the Medical Correctional Institution.
He noted that this might be a tactic to intentionally delay proceedings, especially since Thaksin’s reported medical conditions can be clearly and quickly verified with medical evidence.
Mr Pichit’s questions included whether Thaksin was really in a critical condition and was actually diagnosed as such at the Medical Correctional Institution.
He also questioned Thaksin’s eligibility for a special parole granted on medical grounds, which included claims he was unable to dress himself.
Mr Pichit argued that a person’s inability to care for themselves must be assessed over time, not within a single day, and that Thaksin’s current public appearances do not match the profile of someone in a critical state.
When asked if his group would accept the council’s final decision, Mr Pichit suggested that if the finding is backed by scientific evidence, the public would find it acceptable.
Thaksin, 75, was sentenced in August 2023 to eight years in prison — later reduced to one year by a royal pardon — for abuse of power while in office from 2001-06. He never spent a single night in jail, and instead was transferred to Police General Hospital, where he stayed until he was paroled six months later.
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