Thailand’s Constitutional Court has dismissed a petition aiming to prevent billionaire ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from all six cases filed against him.
Thaksin, the political giant and father of current Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, continuously assured that he held no influence over the Pheu Thai party since his return in 2023, after spending 15 years overseas to avoid prison.
There are six cases the court considered today and all were rejected by the court. These cases are as follows:
1) Interference in the Justice System: It is alleged that Thaksin directed the government to influence the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Corrections, and the Police Hospital to allow him to stay on the 14th floor of the Police Hospital during his prison sentence, despite not having a critical illness.
2) Territorial Negotiations with Cambodia: The petition claims that Thaksin ordered the government to favor Cambodia’s former Prime Minister in negotiations over maritime overlapping areas. This allegedly involved sharing natural gas and undersea resources in Thailand’s maritime territory with Cambodia.
3) Constitutional Amendment Collaboration: Thaksin is accused of directing the Pheu Thai Party to collaborate with the People’s Party, initially founded by members of the former Move Forward Party. The Constitutional Court had previously judged that this party was acting to undermine democratic governance under a constitutional monarchy.
4) Influence on Political Appointments: Thaksin allegedly negotiated with leaders of other coalition parties in Srettha Thavisin’s government about nominating a new Prime Minister at his private residence.
5) Expulsion of Palang Pracharath Party: It is alleged that Thaksin directed Pheu Thai to vote to expel the Palang Pracharath Party from the government coalition.
6) Implementation of Personal Policies: The petition claims that Thaksin instructed Pheu Thai to adopt his personal vision as official government policies, to be presented to the parliament by the Cabinet.
