According to Xinhua News Agency, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was sentenced to one year in prison on Sept. 9 and is currently undergoing a five-day isolation period before being transferred to Bangkok's Klong Prem Central Prison. The Thai Department of Corrections spokesperson stated on Sept. 11 that Thaksin is in good physical and mental condition and may be assigned to teach foreign languages in prison based on his skills.
Citing the Department of Corrections spokesperson, Thailand's The Nation reported that the department assigns jobs to prisoners based on their abilities, and Thaksin may work as a foreign language teacher. Thaksin's lawyer, Winyat Chartmontree, confirmed that Thaksin is currently in isolation and unable to communicate with the outside world. Reuters, citing two informed sources, described the conditions at Klong Prem Central Prison as "unfriendly" and oppressive.
A former corrections official told Reuters that the prison houses approximately 6,500 inmates across 11 zones, including isolation areas and special sections for high-risk prisoners. Regardless of age, all prisoners sleep on the floor with three blankets—one as a mattress, one rolled up as a pillow, and the third as a cover.
Thaksin, 76, served as Thailand's prime minister from 2001 until his ouster in a 2006 military coup. After years in exile, he returned to Thailand in August 2023 and was initially sentenced to eight years in prison. His term was later reduced to one year following a royal pardon. In February last year, he was granted parole on the grounds of old age, critical illness, and having served six months of his sentence.
The recent ruling by Thailand's Supreme Court found that Thaksin's use of hospitalization to avoid serving his sentence was illegal and invalid, leading to the order for him to immediately resume his one-year term.
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