Thailand’s Supreme Court on Monday (Nov 17) ordered jailed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to pay taxes arising from the 2006 sale of his telecom firm Shin Corp, with Thai media reporting a sum of around 17.6 billion baht (US$540 million).
Thaksin, embroiled in corruption allegations at the time and criticised for the tax-free sale of his family’s shares, was ousted in a military coup that same year and later lived in exile for more than a decade.
The 76-year-old billionaire politician is now serving a prison sentence in Bangkok for corruption committed while in office.
Judiciary spokesman Suriyan Hongvilai said the Supreme Court overturned an appeals court decision and upheld the Revenue Department’s order requiring Thaksin to pay the outstanding tax.
He did not disclose the exact amount or provide the court’s reasoning.
Several Thai outlets reported that the tax liability and penalties total 17.6 billion baht.
In 2017, tax authorities revived the dispute and issued a US$500 million tax demand, reigniting tensions between Thaksin’s populist camp and Thailand’s military establishment.
The case centres on whether Thaksin was obligated to pay taxes from his family’s sale of Shin Corp to Singapore’s Temasek Holdings in 2006.
The US$1.9 billion windfall triggered widespread anger and became a lightning rod for opposition, culminating in the coup that removed him from power and deepened Thailand’s long-running political divide.
For two decades, the Shinawatra family has been viewed as the primary challenger to Thailand’s pro-military and pro-royalty elite, who see Thaksin’s brand of populism as a threat to the country’s traditional power structure.
