(Bangkok, 23rd, Comprehensive Report) The Thai Criminal Court on Friday dismissed charges against former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for allegedly insulting the monarch, citing insufficient evidence from the prosecution. It also declared him not guilty of violating the Computer Crime Act.
The court statement indicated that the prosecution's evidence failed to conclusively prove that Thaksin’s comments about then-King Bhumibol during a 2015 interview with South Korean media were defamatory, insulting, or threatening in nature; thus, the case was dismissed. Thaksin left the court smiling, with around 150 “Red Shirt” supporters cheering him on outside.
Thaksin had been accused of suggesting that the Privy Council, appointed by the Thai royal family, orchestrated the 2014 military coup to topple the government led by his sister Yingluck. He denied any wrongdoing. The verdict helps ease public anxiety over Thailand’s situation, with Thailand’s benchmark stock index rising 0.9% and the baht remaining stable.
However, some scholars believe the verdict may have political considerations. Napon, a visiting fellow at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, analyzed that the court emphasized the remarks were aimed at the Privy Council and not the King himself, but individuals have previously been convicted in similar cases for lesser offenses, making this explanation unconvincing.
Napon believes that conservatives need Thaksin and his Pheu Thai Party as a political buffer against progressive forces. The not-guilty verdict for lèse-majesté could be a gesture of goodwill, paving the way for future political deals—including Thaksin’s family accepting an unequal distribution of power when forming a new government after Paetongtarn's dismissal.
Although the verdict has bought Thaksin some time, scholars caution that the political situation for him and his family is far from secure. Napon describes it as “just the calm before the storm.”
Thaksin had been accused of suggesting that the Privy Council, appointed by the Thai royal family, orchestrated the 2014 military coup to topple the government led by his sister Yingluck. He denied any wrongdoing. The verdict helps ease public anxiety over Thailand’s situation, with Thailand’s benchmark stock index rising 0.9% and the baht remaining stable.
However, some scholars believe the verdict may have political considerations. Napon, a visiting fellow at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, analyzed that the court emphasized the remarks were aimed at the Privy Council and not the King himself, but individuals have previously been convicted in similar cases for lesser offenses, making this explanation unconvincing.
Napon believes that conservatives need Thaksin and his Pheu Thai Party as a political buffer against progressive forces. The not-guilty verdict for lèse-majesté could be a gesture of goodwill, paving the way for future political deals—including Thaksin’s family accepting an unequal distribution of power when forming a new government after Paetongtarn's dismissal.
Although the verdict has bought Thaksin some time, scholars caution that the political situation for him and his family is far from secure. Napon describes it as “just the calm before the storm.”