According to the attorney general of Thailand, allegations of insulting the monarchy will result in an indictment against former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The contentious political figure, who spent 15 years in exile before returning to Thailand last year, is facing charges related to an interview he conducted nine years prior with a Korean publication.
He is the most well-known person to be charged under the infamous lese majeste statute in Thailand, which has been applied widely to political dissidents.
The past four years alone have seen hundreds of charges against individuals.
28-year-old Thai protester who was imprisoned for insulting the monarchy passes away during a hunger strike
Thai MP found guilty of insulting the monarchy in posts.
A significant player in Thai politics, Mr. Thaksin’s return to the nation last year seemed to settle the fierce conflict between his family and the conservative organizations afraid of his populist leadership style.
His party was permitted to create a coalition government with some of his political rivals in what appeared to be a grand bargain, with the goal of excluding Move Forward, the upstart reformist party that had garnered the most seats and votes in the 2023 election.
However, it appears that the 74-year-old former premier still has opponents in Thailand’s influential royalist establishment, given the decision to indict him under the harsh lese majeste statute.
