Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand, was sentenced to eight years in prison after returning to the nation following a 15-year exile.
He landed on a private plane on Tuesday morning, ahead of the upcoming election to choose the next Thai leader.
When he returned, he was sentenced to eight years in prison for previous criminal convictions that he alleges were politically motivated.
According to the BBC, conservative royalists have long dreaded Mr Thaksin, Thailand’s most successful elected leader, and have supported military coups and controversial court proceedings to weaken him.
But, years after being toppled by a military coup, the flamboyant, politically ambitious telecommunications billionaire is back. He touched down at Bangkok’s major airport to shouts from hundreds of devoted fans who had camped overnight to see him. He emerged from the airport terminal momentarily, flanked by his two daughters and son, and paid his respects to a portrait of the monarch and queen.
The 74-year-old was promptly transported to the Supreme Court, where he received an eight-year term for three previous offences, and then to Bangkok Remand Prison.
Given his senior age, prison officials said he will be housed in a wing with specialised medical equipment. He will also be subjected to a 10-day quarantine, the first five days of which he will be restricted to his room, according to police.
It has been expected that Thaksin may seek a royal pardon, and prison officials stated on Tuesday that he would be free to do so immediately. The procedure might take between one and two months.
cc: Punch Ng
