BANGKOK (Reuters) -A criminal court in Thailand will on Friday deliver a verdict in a high-profile case of royal insult involving influential former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, the first in a series
Thai Court Acquits Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra in Royal Insult Case
Thaksin Shinawatra's Legal Victory
By Panarat Thepgumpanat and Napat Wesshasartar
Background of the Case
BANGKOK (Reuters) - A court in Thailand dismissed a royal insult case on Friday against influential former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, clearing the first hurdle in a series of high-stakes court rulings involving the powerful Shinawatra political dynasty.
Political Implications
The court said the case, brought by the royalist military stemming from a 2015 Thaksin interview with foreign media, lacked sufficient evidence to prove he had insulted the powerful monarchy, an offence punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Future Legal Challenges
"Evidence from the plaintiff showed the interview by the defendant did not defame, insult or threaten the king, therefore the defendant is not guilty," the criminal court in Bangkok said.
Wearing a yellow necktie, the colour associated with the palace, a smiling Thaksin had earlier announced the decision to reporters as he left the courthouse, outside of which about 150 of his red-shirted supporters had gathered.
The divisive 76-year-old tycoon remains a major force in Thai politics despite being retired and having previously spent 15 years in self-imposed exile before his return in 2023.
The billionaire has repeatedly pledged allegiance to the king, who is enshrined in the Thai constitution as being in a position of "revered worship", with the palace seen by royalists as sacrosanct.
Thaksin's case was the highest-profile among more than 280 prosecutions in recent years under the controversial lese-majeste law, which activists say has been abused by conservatives to silence dissent and sideline political rivals. Royalists say the law is necessary to protect the crown.
CHALLENGES AHEAD
Although he has no official role in government, Thaksin remains politically active and is widely seen as the power behind the ruling Pheu Thai party-led coalition, which is losing popularity and hanging by a thread.
The ruling came a week ahead of another key verdict involving his daughter, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who faces dismissal by the Constitutional Court for an alleged ethics violation over a leaked telephone conversation with Cambodia's former leader about a border row that later spiraled into five days of armed conflict.
Thaksin also faces another legal test in September when the Supreme Court will decide if his six-month stint in hospital detention, prior to his release on parole in 2024, counts as time served in jail for an abuse of power and conflicts of interest conviction. He could potentially be made to serve that time in prison.
Thaksin had been sentenced to eight years in prison, reduced to one year by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, but did not spend a single night in jail and was transferred to the VIP wing of a police hospital on medical grounds.
A former policeman who built a business empire worth billions, Thaksin was a mould-breaking premier who won the hearts and votes of millions of working-class Thais with populist giveaways like cash handouts, village loans and universal healthcare.
That made his political parties unstoppable, but his influence and brash character riled Thailand's old guard of conservatives and royalist generals in a long-running battle that has seen the fall of multiple Shinawatra-backed governments via coups or court rulings.
Supporters outside the court expressed relief at Friday's decision, saying Thaksin was committed to helping the people.
"I'm glad," said Khemanut Thauntong, 62. "He is a good and honest person who is loyal to the nation."
(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat, Napat Wesshasartar, Artorn Pookasook, Panu Wongcha-um and Chayut Setboonsarng; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Michael Perry)
