Post by : Meena Ariff

Thailand’s ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, 76, may be assigned a supervisory role overseeing sewer-cleaning crews at Bangkok’s Klong Prem Central Prison, according to his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

“The prison director said Dad will be assigned to supervise sewer cleaning,” she told reporters on Thursday. She added that Thaksin’s health is currently “OK.”

If confirmed, the assignment would permit Thaksin to leave the prison under supervision during work hours. As a foreman, he would oversee the crews rather than engage directly in cleaning drains.

Background on the Prison Program

Klong Prem Central Prison runs an active sewer-cleaning vocational program in partnership with Bangkok’s municipal authorities. Inmates drawn from the facility routinely clean roadside drains under official supervision. Such outside assignments are generally offered to prisoners exhibiting good behaviour and those with relatively short remaining sentences.

Thailand’s Department of Corrections has not publicly confirmed Thaksin’s assignment.

Thaksin’s Political Legacy

Once a dominant figure in Southeast Asian politics, Thaksin served as Thailand’s prime minister from 2001 until a military coup ousted him in September 2006. A former telecoms magnate, he continues to influence Thai politics through his family’s strong political network.

His youngest daughter, Paetongtarn, was elected prime minister in August last year under the family-aligned Pheu Thai party. However, she was removed from office on August 29 by the Constitutional Court for violating ethical and constitutional norms in a leaked telephone call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen.

Legal Challenges and Imprisonment

Thaksin returned to Thailand in August 2023 after around 15 years in exile to face convictions for corruption and abuse of power. Initially sentenced to eight years, he was transferred to a Police General Hospital for six months, citing health issues. During this time, he received a royal pardon reducing his term to one year and was released on parole in February last year after serving half that sentence.

However, a Supreme Court ruling on September 9 reversed his early release. The court ruled his extended hospital stay was medically unnecessary and could not count as time served, ordering him back to prison.

Current Status

Thaksin’s lawyer, Winyat Chartmontree, confirmed that no special privileges or requests for house arrest have been made. He stated that Thaksin is being held under standard conditions in an area reserved for elderly inmates near the Corrections Hospital.

Under Thai law, inmates may apply to serve sentences at home or in medical facilities, subject to risk assessment and Department of Corrections criteria. Winyat indicated such considerations could arise “when the time is right.”