Allegations Arise Over Thaksin’s Health Following Hospitalization
In a stunning turn of events, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s assertion that her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, was in good health just two days prior to his return to Thailand has raised questions amid his recent hospitalization. During a parliamentary censure debate, opposition MP Rangsiman Rome challenged the reasons for Thaksin’s swift transfer to Police General Hospital, where he has been receiving care since returning from self-exile.
Paetongtarn claimed her father was healthy and regularly underwent medical checkups, a statement contrasted by Rangsiman, who pointed out that within hours of returning on August 22, 2023, Thaksin was declared seriously ill. The Supreme Court had sentenced him to eight years in prison on multiple charges during his first night back, only for the sentence later to be reduced to one year through royal clemency.
Rangsiman presented evidence during the debate, including a photo of Thaksin appearing healthy as he greeted supporters at Don Mueang airport. He questioned the motive behind Thaksin’s hospitalization, highlighting a lack of prior medical history that would reveal serious health issues.
After reports emerged detailing Thaksin’s heart problems, lung disease, and other health concerns, Rangsiman was skeptical of the timeline. He criticized Paetongtarn, asking if she was truly concerned for her father’s well-being while allowing him to prepare a clemency application from his hospital bed. “If he was indeed critically ill, why wasn’t he returned to prison?” he challenged.
On September 19, 2023, Paetongtarn announced Thaksin had undergone surgery but provided no specifics, prompting further inquiries from the opposition. With key events unfolding, Rangsiman questioned if the Prime Minister was staging her father’s condition for political leverage, particularly as she traveled abroad during his hospitalization.
Rangsiman also noted Thaksin’s swift recovery post-release, where photographs showed him appearing healthy and capable of visiting Chiang Mai shortly afterward. The circumstances surrounding Thaksin’s hospitalization and the subsequent royal clemency have raised serious doubts about the integrity of the justice system and the Prime Minister’s transparency regarding her father’s health.
