Former Thai PM to be jailed

Thailand’s top court has ruled that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra must serve a year in jail, in yet another blow to the influential political dynasty, the BBC writes.

He had been sentenced to eight years for corruption and abuse of power when he returned to Thailand in 2023, following years of living in exile.

But his sentence was later reduced to a year, and Thaksin ended up spending only less than a day in a jail cell as he was swiftly moved to hospital after he complained of heart problems.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled that this transfer was unlawful, and that the 76-year-old would have to serve his sentence in jail.

Thaksin and his family have dominated Thai politics since he was first elected PM in 2001. His daughter Paetongtarn previously served as leader but was removed from office last month over a leaked phone call.