This year brought a political development previously ruled out as unthinkable by many analysts and observers.
After 15 years of self-imposed exile overseas, Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Thailand on August 22 to face prison terms for corruption cases stemming from his tenure as prime minister between February 2001 and September 2006.
After his private jet landed at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport, Thaksin bowed before a portrait of Their Majesties the King and Queen placed at the private terminal. He was also seen greeting supporters and key figures from the Pheu Thai Party, of which he is patriarch.
Meanwhile, in Parliament…
Thaksin’s return coincided with a parliamentary meeting that saw former property tycoon Srettha Thavisin, a Pheu Thai prime ministerial candidate, voted in as Thailand’s 30th premier, succeeding General Prayut Chan-o-cha, who had come to power nine years earlier after leading a military coup in May 2014.
Of the 482 “yes” votes for Srettha, as many as 152 came from the 250-seat Senate, which was appointed by the military-led government following the 2014 coup.
The strong support from senators led to speculation that Pheu Thai had done a backroom deal with the outgoing power clique, whose political parties performed disappointingly in this year’s general election. Many of the senators who voted for Srettha are close to Prayut, including Prayut’s younger brother, General Preecha.
‘VIP treatment’
On the night of his return, Thaksin was moved from Bangkok Remand Prison to the Police General Hospital for treatment of an undisclosed medical condition.
He was reportedly booked into a suite on the 14th floor of a hospital building overlooking the Royal Bangkok Sports Club – securing what critics described as “VIP treatment”.
Four months later, Thaksin has still not been sent back to prison to serve his time, which was commuted from eight years to one year following a royal pardon issued in September. Many now suspect he is no longer at the hospital.
Vague assurances from officials aside, the only evidence that Thaksin was at the hospital is a photo circulated on social media on October 13 showing him being transported from his room in a hospital bed to get CT and MRI scans. The director-general of the Corrections Department said the photo was authentic.
Thaksin reportedly underwent orthopedic surgery at the hospital.
However, the Corrections Department and the Police General Hospital have declined to reveal Thaksin’s health condition, citing his rights to confidentiality as a patient.
The vagueness shrouding Thaksin’s health and whereabouts, coupled with the government’s seeming indifference over the matter, sparked anger among critics. They called on the authorities to prove that Thaksin’s condition was serious enough to warrant a four-month stay outside the prison or the Department of Corrections Hospital, which is located inside Bangkok’s Klong Prem Central Prison.
Freedom beckons
Thaksin is expected to walk free soon thanks to a new Corrections Department regulation that allows eligible convicts to serve their time outside prison. The regulation was issued on December 7 in line with the 2017 Corrections Act, which permits alternative places of detention, to help alleviate prison overcrowding.
Some government figures insist the convicted ex-PM meets the criteria for detention outside prison, including being sentenced to fewer than four years and not posing a threat to the public.
Waiting for a comeback
Freedom beckons for Thaksin at a time when the Shinawatra family is consolidating its power over the ruling party through his youngest daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra. She became Pheu Thai’s new leader in late October.
The 37-year-old political novice’s rise to the helm of the ruling party is viewed as paving the way for her to become prime minister – whether after the top job is vacated prematurely or following the next election. Paetongtarn was one of three Pheu Thai PM candidates in the last general election, but the party opted to nominate Srettha for the parliamentary vote.
As well as leading the party, Paetongtarn has also been appointed to helm several high-powered government committees, including one tasked with drafting national soft power strategies. Although she holds no ministerial posts, Paetongtarn appears frequently alongside PM Srettha at public events.
Pheu Thai Secretary-General Sorawong Thienthong confirmed in December that Paetongtarn is ready to be the next prime minister but was vague about the timeframe, saying she would not rise to the top job anytime soon.
What is certain is that Paetongtarn is now Thaksin’s political heir and his only hope of the Shinawatra family making a strong comeback to politics.
By Thai PBS World’s Political Desk
