BANGKOK – In a decisive move, Thailand’s Supreme Court has confirmed that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will serve a one-year prison term related to previous convictions for graft and abuse of power. The ruling comes after a series of investigations into the handling of Thaksin’s highly publicized return to Thailand in 2023, following more than a decade of self-imposed exile. Upon his return, Thaksin was sent to a suite at the Police General Hospital in Bangkok for allegedly medical reasons, spending less than 24 hours in jail which sparked widespread speculation and scrutiny. The eight-year sentence he faced was dramatically commuted to one year by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, allowing him to be released after only six months in the hospital. This rapid shift in circumstances has raised many eyebrows, prompting concerns over whether Thaksin received preferential treatment and if his health issues were as serious as claimed. The ongoing saga surrounding Thaksin’s legal predicament continues to exemplify the complex and often treacherous intersection of politics, power, and justice in Thailand.