Ex-Thai PM charged with insulting nation's monarchy

Thailand's former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been indicted for defaming the monarchy, a development that threatens to deepen the political crisis in the country.

- SHWETA SHARMA

Mr Shinawatra, who was ousted from power in a coup 18 years ago, was granted bail shortly after the attorney general formally indicted him, avoiding pre-trial detention.

The indictment comes as incumbent prime minister Srettha Thavisin faces potential disqualification. The royal insult case, filed in 2015, is one of many filed against the billionaire politician who returned to Thailand last year after 15 years in self-imposed exile.

He has been charged under the country’s lese majeste law, one of the most stringent in the world, which prohibits offending or showing disrespect towards the monarch or another sovereign authority. The law carries a maximum jail sentence of 15 years for each perceived insult.

Mr Shinawatra, 74, is seen as the de facto leader of the Pheu Thai government, which was formed in 2023 after a messy general election. He has maintained a high profile since returning home, travelling the country and making public appearances and political observations that could upset powerful figures in the establishment.