Thaksin will not attend Supreme Court hearing on Friday
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Thaksin will not attend Supreme Court hearing on Friday

He has not been summonsed to attend, says lawyer

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Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra leaves the Criminal Court in Bangkok on August 19 last year  after a scheduled hearing of lese majeste charges brought against him. His lawyer Winyat Chatmontree is on the left. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul)
Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra leaves the Criminal Court in Bangkok on August 19 last year after a scheduled hearing of lese majeste charges brought against him. His lawyer Winyat Chatmontree is on the left. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul)

Thaksin Shinawatra will not go to the Supreme Court this Friday when it considers whether the former prime minister served his jail term during his prolonged stay at Police General Hospital.

His lawyer, Winyat Chatmontree, said on Wednesday that Thaksin would not attend the hearing in the Supreme Court’s Criminal Case Division for Persons Holding Political Positions on June 13, because he had not been summonsed to appear. 

Thakin had asked the court to postpone the deadline for document delivery for 30 days, and the court had rescheduled it for June 23, the lawyer said.

His legal team would, however, be present at the scheduled hearing this Friday to present clarifications to the court.

The court decided in April to look into whether Thaksin had properly served his prison term while in the Police Hospital.

The decision was announced when the court dismissed a petition from former Democrat MP Charnchai Issarasenarak. He challenged whether Thaksin's admission to Police General Hospital and stay there until he was paroled equated to serving his term in prison.

Thaksin returned to the country on Aug 22, 2023, after more than 15 years of self-exile abroad.

He was immediately sentenced to eight years in prison in three cases - later reduced to one year by royal clemency - for abuse of authority and conflict of interest while serving as prime minister prior to 2006.

He was taken to Bangkok Remand Prison immediately after his arrival back in Thailand, but was moved to Police General Hospital the same night, Aug 22, only 13 hours after he entered the prison.

He stayed in the hospital until he was paroled early in 2024 amid questions over whether he had received privileged treatment. 

His rivals called for evidence of his serious illness, citing his much-improved health shortly after leaving Police General Hospital.

The Medical Council of Thailand did not find that Thaksin was critically ill during his stay at the police hospital and decided to discipline a few doctors involved. The Opposition questioned Thaksin's illness during the recent censure debate.

Earlier, officials repeatedly referred to the confidentiality of patient data and the possible risk to Thaksin's life if he were returned to prison.

A photo that circulated widely on social media purports to show former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra being taken from his room at the Police General Hospital in Bangkok to get a CT and MRI scan in October 2023.

A photo that circulated widely on social media purports to show former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra being taken from his room at the Police General Hospital in Bangkok for CT and MRI scans in October 2023.

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