Thailand’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, ordered former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to serve a one-year jail term, dealing another major setback to one of the country’s most influential political families.
The court ruled that Thaksin must complete prison time that he previously avoided while under hospital detention.
A Reuters reporter present at the hearing confirmed that police would move to take Thaksin into custody following the verdict. As of the announcement, he had not yet left the courthouse.
The ruling comes less than two weeks after Thaksin’s daughter and political heir, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was removed from the premiership by a court ruling, marking a dramatic period of reckoning for the family that has shaped Thai politics for two decades.
Thaksin, who returned from 15 years of self-imposed exile in 2023, originally spent only a few hours in jail before being transferred to hospital, citing chest pains and heart-related issues.
The move drew widespread skepticism, with critics accusing him of using medical grounds as a way to escape imprisonment.
The Shinawatra family has long been a central force in Thailand’s power struggles, often clashing with the military and establishment elites.
Their populist appeal has won them mass support in rural areas, but also fueled repeated political crises.
With Thaksin now facing jail time and his daughter unseated from office, the family’s political dominance is under fresh pressure.
The decision is expected to trigger renewed debate over judicial independence, political influence, and the balance of power in Thailand’s volatile democracy.