Thaksin Shinawatra: Thailand's ex-PM hospitalized on first night in jail

 

Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who returned from almost two decades of self-imposed exile on Tuesday, was taken to hospital overnight due to heart and blood pressure problems, officials said on Wednesday.

Thaksin, 74, is the founder of the populist Pheu Thai Party, which won the most seats in the March 2023 general election and formed a coalition government led by Srettha Thavisin, a close ally of Thaksin.

Srettha was confirmed as prime minister on Wednesday after receiving royal endorsement, a parliament official said.

Thaksin's homecoming was a dramatic event that overshadowed Srettha's parliamentary vote. He arrived in Bangkok on his private jet and was escorted to jail by police amid cheers from his supporters and intense media coverage.

He faces eight years in prison after being convicted of abuse of power and conflicts of interest in two separate cases that he has denounced as politically motivated.

The Corrections Department said in a statement that Thaksin had felt chest tightness and high blood pressure and he was referred to Bangkok's police hospital at around 2 a.m. on Wednesday.

The latest condition of Thaksin was not clear on Wednesday and his representatives did not immediately respond.

Police said Thaksin was hospitalized because the prison lacked the necessary medical staff and equipment to take care of him.

"The prison has assessed the situation and saw that it lacks doctors and medical equipment that can take care of the patient," Assistant National Police Chief Lieutenant General Prachuab Wongsuk said.

Thaksin was accompanied by eight prison guards when he was transferred during the night, Ayuth Sintoppant, director general of the Corrections Department told.

Thaksin is Thailand's most famous politician and one of its richest men. He rose to power in 2001 with a populist platform that appealed to the rural poor and the urban middle class.

He was ousted by a military coup in 2006 and fled the country in 2008 to avoid imprisonment on corruption charges. He has since lived in various countries, including Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore.

His return and Srettha's smooth ascent to the top job have fuelled speculation that Thaksin had struck a deal with his foes in the military and political establishment for his safe return and possible early release from jail. Thaksin and Pheu Thai have denied that.