Bangkok: A Thai criminal court on Friday dismissed a high-profile royal defamation case against former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, ruling that prosecutors had failed to provide sufficient evidence to support the charges.
Thaksin, 76, was accused of violating Thailand’s strict lese-majeste laws during a 2015 interview with South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, in which he commented on the 2014 military coup that toppled his sister, Yingluck Shinawatra. The laws, among the harshest in the world, impose prison terms of three to 15 years for criticism of the monarchy.
“The case was dismissed,” Thaksin told reporters with a smile as he left court, wearing a yellow tie, the color symbolizing loyalty to the monarchy. His lawyer, Winyat Chatmontree, confirmed the ruling, saying judges found the evidence was insufficient to prove wrongdoing.
Outside the courthouse, around 150 supporters, many clad in red shirts representing Thaksin’s political movement, cheered as news of the verdict spread.
Thailand’s interim Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai welcomed the decision, stressing that there is no political implications as it was the outcome of an independent judicial process. Phumtham, who leads the ruling Pheu Thai Party founded by Thaksin, said the movement retained high morale despite the legal pressures confronting the Shinawatra family.

While Friday’s verdict marks a reprieve for Thaksin, the Shinawatra political dynasty remains under intense pressure. His daughter, suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, faces a pivotal ruling next week from the Constitutional Court that could see her removed from office over an alleged ethics violation linked to a leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former leader, Hun Sen.
Thaksin himself also faces a separate test in September, when the Supreme Court will rule on whether his six-month hospital stay after returning from exile in 2023 should be counted as time served for earlier convictions of abuse of power and conflict of interest. A negative ruling could see him sent back to prison.
Thaksin, a billionaire telecoms tycoon who swept to power in 2001 with strong support from rural voters, remains one of Thailand’s most polarizing figures. Admired by supporters for populist policies that expanded healthcare and social welfare, he is loathed by the conservative establishment, which has repeatedly used the courts and military interventions to curb his influence.