The Office of the Attorney-General, meanwhile, has decided to challenge a lower court’s August ruling that cleared Thaksin of lese majeste charges stemming from a 2015 interview with a South Korean newspaper, the Bangkok Post reported.
The twin legal setbacks mark the latest twist in the long-running saga of Thaksin, the billionaire ex-premier who has played a key role shaping Thailand’s politics since the early 2000s. The cases highlight his waning yet enduring influence on the nation’s power structure.
His lawyers didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The Supreme Court hasn’t published Thaksin’s tax case on its website.
Shin Corp’s US$1.9 billion (FM7.88 billion) sale — executed without any tax payment — triggered widespread street protests that ultimately led to Thaksin’s ouster in a military coup. This week’s 17.6 billion baht (US$542 million) tax bill essentially revives a long-standing dispute over unpaid personal income tax and allows enforcement proceedings to resume.
See also: Thai leader Anutin strikes deal for coalition with Thaksin-backed party
Shin Corp merged with Gulf Energy Development earlier this year.
Thaksin is currently serving a one-year prison sentence that began on Sept 9, after the top court ruled that his six-month stay in a police hospital in 2023 didn’t count as time served.
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