On Monday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia appointed Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as his personal advisor when he becomes chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year.
Although Anwar said that Thaksin’s role would be an informal one along with other advisors from 10 member states.
Anwar’s announcement came about during Thailand’s current Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s visit to Malaysia. Paetongtarn is Thaksin’s youngest daughter and the fourth Shinawatra family who has become the leader of the Thai government.
Anwar reasoned that he appointed Thaksin because of his experience as a statesman, he said during a joint press conference with Thaksin’s daughter.
Thaksin, now aged 75 has been one of Thailand’s most influential figures, his influence has cast a huge shadow over Thai politics for many years, and is currently believed to be a key player behind the current administration as he has done in the past.
Thaksin is prohibited from taking part in Thailand’s politics after being found guilty of abusing his power and conflict of interest. Thaksin has evaded the charge for 15 years in foreign countries. Despite that, he remains a key figure in many of Thailand’s political turmoil.
He returned to Thailand in August 2023 and was sentenced to prison for eight years. Days later, his sentence was commuted to one year by King Vajiralongkorn along with several royal occasions. After spending a few hours in prison, he was transferred to a hospital for health issues. Thaksin has been on parole since February after spending all his jail time in hospital.
Though Thaksin claimed to be retired from politics, his political opponent remains skeptical. They believe that Thaksin is pulling a string behind the current administration, headed by his Pheu Thai Party.
Thaksin had a heavy hand in the formation of the Phue Thai Party and often has its policies being weighed by Thaksin’s remark.
After his return, Thaksin met with Hun Sen, Cambodia’s former Premier and father of the current prime minister, he also met with President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia.
According to several local reports, Thaksin seeks a mediation role in the Myanmar civil war, a geopolitical event that would be Anwar’s biggest challenge as ASEAN chair. In May, the Thai Foreign Minister confirmed that Thaksin had personally met with Myanmar’s resistance force to broker a negotiation.
