Thailand's billionaire ex-PM Thaksin taken to hospital on first night in jail

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Thailand's billionaire ex-PM Thaksin taken to hospital on first night in jail

By Panarat Thepgumpanat and Panu Wongcha-um
August 23, 2023 7:43 AM EDT Updated 2 hours ago

BANGKOK, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Thailand's billionaire former leader Thaksin Shinawatra was taken to hospital on his first night in prison after his historic return from self-exile, officials said on Wednesday, citing concern about his heart and blood pressure.

The influential founder of Thailand's populist Pheu Thai Party was transferred to a police hospital overnight, 15 hours after a vaunted homecoming from 15 years abroad to avoid jail, that coincided with his political ally being elected prime minister in a parliamentary vote.

The Corrections Department said Thaksin, 74, was transferred in the early hours of Wednesday after being unable to sleep and experiencing chest tightness and high blood pressure.

"Physicians agreed that to prevent dangerous risks to his life, he be transferred to the police hospital," it said.

Soponrat Singhajaru, a senior doctor, said Thaksin's condition had improved since he was admitted. A representative for Thaksin declined to comment.

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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thailands-jailed-ex-pm-thaksin-hospitalised-after-return-exile-police-2023-08-23/

Non-paywalled link: https://news.yahoo.com/thailands-jailed-ex-pm-thaksin-014522504.html

[Bev54]

1. Thaksin is a mafia thug and deserves to be in prison.

My second visit to Thailand was about the time he was elected as PM. Flying from Phuket to Bangkok when we landed (last plane to land all behind us were diverted to other airports) we were told their was a fire at the domestic terminal and our pilot was not sure but he was trying to get a bus to us from the international terminal. After an hour or more a bus came for us to deplane and we were expecting to go to international terminal because the domestic terminal had been evacuated. Nope they took us to the empty domestic terminal where an airplane at the gate next to the baggage claim area was on fire. They dropped us off to the empty terminal full of black smoke smelling like plastic and rubber and left us there. I got pictures of the plane burning as we past right by it. We were in the terminal for a couple of hours while after the first hour they let others back in to claim their luggage, while we waited for it to be cleared before our luggage was brought in. It was quite an experience and I had a friend waiting for me at a hotel I had booked before I left for Phuket and I had no way of contacting him and they would not let him into the room because it was under my name. When I finally walked into the hotel being 3 1/2-4 hours late He was ready to give me shit. I just said "don't say a word to me right now, I will explain, first we will check in and then I need a drink". It was only after we got to the room and turned the tv on, did he even know, but it was also then that we learned that Thaksin was supposed to be on that plane, going to Chaing Mai or Chang Rai (we had flown out of the same gate 2 weeks prior to Chaing Mai). Thaksin was late getting to the airport so they would not let others board before him, fortunately, however 2 airport workers were killed in the bomb that was planted under the seat Thaksin was to be in.