Thai Ex-PM Thaksin Cleared in Royal Defamation Case
Thaksin Shinawatra acquitted of royal defamation charges.
Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was acquitted of royal defamation charges by Bangkok’s Criminal Court on Friday, August 22, 2025, escaping a potential 15-year prison sentence. The 76-year-old political heavyweight, smiling as he left the courthouse, simply told reporters, “Dismissal,” while his lawyer, Winyat Chatmontree, confirmed the verdict. The court has yet to release an official statement, but the ruling marks a significant reprieve for Thaksin, a polarizing figure in Thai politics.
The case stemmed from remarks Thaksin allegedly made to South Korean journalists in 2015, charged under Thailand’s stringent lèse-majesté law, which carries a three-to-15-year sentence for defaming the monarchy. Winyat revealed that the court dismissed the charges due to insufficient evidence, an incomplete account of the interview lacking context, and suspicions of political bias in the complaint. The legal aid group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights notes that over 270 people, mostly activists, have faced similar charges since 2020, highlighting the law’s increasing use to silence critics.
Thaksin, ousted in a 2006 military coup, has long been accused by royalist opponents of corruption and disrespecting the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. After 15 years in exile, he returned in 2023, coinciding with his Pheu Thai party’s rise to power. Instead of prison, he served time in a hospital suite for health reasons, raising questions of preferential treatment. Released on parole in February 2024, he faces another legal battle next month over his early release eligibility.
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The acquittal comes amid turmoil for the Shinawatra dynasty. Thaksin’s daughter, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, faces a Constitutional Court ruling next week that could oust her over an ethics violation tied to a call with Cambodia’s Senate President. Thailand’s history of coups and judicial interventions continues to shape its volatile political landscape, with courts often targeting figures challenging the royalist establishment. Thaksin’s high-profile return and this legal win keep him at the center of the nation’s political drama.
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