Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been jailed upon his return to the country after 15 years in exile. However, suspicions abound that he’s struck a deal to serve only a short prison term.
Arriving in Bangkok on a private jet, Thaksin’s return coincided with his party’s candidate, Srettha Thavisin, being elected the next Thai PM, cementing a coalition with former military rivals who ousted the party in 2014.
Thaksin, known as Thailand’s most successful elected leader, has long been opposed by conservative royalists who used coups and court cases against him. Despite his desire to return, legal cases had kept him away. He was immediately sentenced to eight years’ jail upon his return.
With cheers from loyal supporters, he paid respects to a portrait of the king and queen before heading to court and then prison. Thaksin’s two daughters and son were with him.
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The return of the influential figure marks a strategic shift, as his party forms a coalition to regain power.
His party’s win is the culmination of a complex process that began with a youthful, radical party. Despite connections being denied, Thaksin’s return and the coalition for a Pheu Thai PM appear interlinked.
Thaksin’s party was affected by the unelected senate, a legacy of the military junta after the 2014 coup. Its poor election performance led to its need to partner with former rivals.
However, concerns arise about the party’s reputation due to the pragmatic deal. Critics fear the party could lose grass-roots support and its dominant political position.
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