May 18, 2023
BANGKOK – The source said core members of the party had discussed Thaksin’s announcement that he would seek to return to Thailand.
Before the Sunday election, Thaksin had repeatedly stated on social media that he wanted to return to Thailand by July this year and that he would not mind serving his jail term.
According to the source, Move Forward, which won the Sunday election, would not oppose Thaksin’s return but he must return via the normal process and channel and there would be no special prison arrangements for him.
The source said Move Forward was planning to push for a political amnesty bill, but it would take time to be enacted as it it was a sensitive issue. The source added that if Thaksin returned in July as he has announced, he would not be benefit from the amnesty bill.
In October 2008, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions convicted him for abuse of power in his wife’s purchase of a state-owned plot in the coveted Ratchadaphisek area at a price much cheaper than market value.
He was given a two-year jail term but the 10-year statute of limitations for that court verdict expired in October 2018.
The court later gave Thaksin another two years in prison after finding him guilty of malfeasance in the two- and three-digit lottery case.
Thaksin was handed a further three years’ imprisonment for abusing his position to authorise loans totalling 4 billion baht to Myanmar via the Export-Import Bank of Thailand.
Thaksin was sentenced to five more years in prison in another case in which he was found guilty of using nominees to hold shares in Shin Corp. The law prohibits any political office holder from holding shares in a telecom company.