Thailand Supreme Court Plans July Hearings on Thaksin Hospitalisation Case

Thailand's Supreme Court is scheduled to hold hearings in July to examine the legitimacy of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's extended six-month hospital stay, which allowed him to avoid serving the remainder of his prison sentence. The court will conduct six days of hearings beginning July 4 and concluding on July 30, during which it will review the medical council's reprimand of three doctors who enabled Thaksin's hospital stay and hear testimony from 20 witnesses, including medical personnel and a former corrections official. Thaksin, who remains a powerful figure behind the ruling Pheu Thai party led by his daughter, current Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, faces mounting legal challenges including a separate case for insulting the monarchy. The case has intensified political uncertainty amid Thailand's ongoing economic difficulties and border issues with Cambodia. The court's decision could potentially result in Thaksin being sent back to jail, further complicating the already fraught political landscape.