File photo: Thaksin Shinawatra
Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra reported to the Criminal Court today in connection with charges of lèse majesté and computer crimes related to his 2015 media interview in South Korea.
It took him only ten minutes at the court office to complete the process.
Thaksin was arraigned and released on 500,000 baht bail in June, which requires him to report to the court once a month and to seek permission to travel abroad.
The first witness hearing in the case is scheduled for July 1st next year.
In August, Thaksin sought permission to travel to Dubai for medical treatment, citing a series of illnesses, but his request was rejected by the court. The court ruled that doctors in Thailand could treat him, making the overseas trip unnecessary.
There are currently no reports of him having renewed the request.
Thaksin withdrew from public view after his daughter, Paetongtarn, became the 30th prime minister of Thailand. This absence has been linked to several complaints, filed with the Constitutional Court, accusing him of being behind the Paetongtarn government’s decision making and policy agenda.
