Srettha Thavisin

Thai court to decide fates of PM and opposition party

Thailand's Constitutional Court will rule on two politically charged cases in the next week that will decide the fate of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and the popular opposition party, amid heightened uncertainty over potential upheaval. Both cases underline intractable rifts in Thai politics, defined by a two-decade struggle between its powerful conservative-royalist establishment, backed by the military, and parties with mass appeal such as Move Forward and Srettha's ruling Pheu Thai. WHAT...

June 18, 2024 11:21 AM

Formal Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra granted bail in royal insult case

Influential former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a powerful backer of the ruling government, was granted bail by a court on Tuesday, avoiding pre-trial detention for allegedly insulting the monarchy in a 2015 interview. The billionaire sought bail from the Criminal Court of Thailand soon after the Attorney-General had formally charged him under Thailand's lese-majeste law, which carries a maximum jail sentence of up to 15 years for each perceived royal insult. Thaksin denies the c...