From Prime Minister To Prisoner: A New Chapter For Thai Power Broker

Asia Pacific|Prime Minister, Exile and Now Prisoner: Thai Power Broker’s New Chapter

A year ago, Thaksin Shinawatra’s astonishing resurgence to power in Thailand seemed complete. One of his daughters had just been elected prime minister. And he was flaunting his influence, giving speeches on his “vision for Thailand.”

Now Mr. Thaksin, 76, is in prison, ordered on Tuesday to serve a year for past convictions of corruption and abuse of power. His daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been dismissed from office, replaced by a rival of Mr. Thaksin’s. And Mr. Thaksin’s political party has been relegated to the opposition.

Despite this series of blows to Mr. Thaksin’s political ambitions, it is probably still too soon to write him off.

For decades, Mr. Thaksin challenged Thailand’s royalist-military establishment for power. He became one of the most polarizing figures in Thailand, was ousted in a coup and went into exile for years.

Then, in a stunning reversal two years ago, his former enemies took Mr. Thaksin back into the fold in an effort to counter Thailand’s youth-led progressive movement. Mr. Thaksin made a dramatic return to Thailand, was sentenced to eight years in prison on charges that he was convicted of in absentia, won a royal pardon and effectively did not spend a day in prison.

To some supporters and analysts, he had made a Faustian bargain that backfired on him in recent weeks, culminating on Tuesday with him entering the Klong Prem Central Prison in Bangkok. A court ruled that he had not properly served his sentence.