Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was cleared on Friday of royal defamation charges, relieving one of the threats to his embattled dynasty, which has dominated Thai politics for two decades.
Thaksin's family has long jousted with the nation's pro-military, pro-monarchy elite who view their populist movement as a threat to Thailand's traditional social order.
Their tenure as a defining force in Thai politics has unfolded in a saga of coups, street protests and court cases as they have grappled for the kingdom's levers of power.
The 76-year-old Thaksin had faced up to 15 years in prison under laws criminalising criticism of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his family, but was cleared after a trial that unfolded over two months.
"The court dismissed the charges against Thaksin, ruling that the evidence presented was insufficient," his lawyer Winyat Chatmontree told reporters at Thailand's Criminal Court in Bangkok.
However, his dynasty remains on the ropes, with his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, currently suspended as prime minister and facing her own reckoning next week, as a court decision is due that could see her removed from office.
Thaksin left the court ahead of his lawyer, smiling and telling the press his case was "dismissed" without providing any further comment.
"The court has done its job properly, but I don't think we can relax yet," said 66-year-old food vendor Kamol Orahanta, among around 150 Thaksin supporters gathered outside the court.
"I believe there are still some haters who will try to topple him by other means," he told AFP.
The case stemmed from decade-old remarks Thaksin made in South Korean media relating to the 2014 military coup that overthrew his sister Yingluck.
Even after his acquittal, AFP noted it could not report his comments in detail, as Thailand’s strict lese-majeste law is so severe that doing so might itself trigger criminal charges.
A polarising political legacy
Loved and loathed in almost equal measure, Shinawatra transformed Thai politics in the early 2000s with populist policies that won him and his party loyalty from the rural masses.
But that success came at a cost: he and his family were despised by Thailand’s powerful elites and conservative establishment, who viewed his rule as corrupt, authoritarian, and socially destabilising.
Thaksin was born on July 26, 1949, into one of the most prominent ethnic Chinese families in northern Chiang Mai province.
Before entering politics, he worked as a police officer and amassed a vast fortune founding telecom giant Shin Corp.
His political rise began in 2001 when he was elected as Thailand’s first premier to serve a full term.
Despite his economic policies helping rural voters through cash handouts and debt relief, his “war on drugs,” which reportedly led to around 2,800 extrajudicial killings, drew international criticism.
Thaksin was re-elected in a landslide in 2005 but was soon dogged by corruption allegations and controversy over the tax-free sale of Shin Corp shares.
His government was toppled by a military coup in 2006 while he was at the United Nations in New York.
Following the coup, his assets were frozen, and he entered 15 years of self-imposed exile.
Throughout that time, he maintained influence over Thai politics, often addressing supporters via social media platforms under the alias “Tony Woodsome.”
Thaksin’s political legacy continues through his family.
His sister Yingluck became prime minister in 2011, and his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra took over leadership of the Pheu Thai party, becoming prime minister last year.
However, Paetongtarn is currently suspended and faces a critical court ruling over a leaked call regarding a border dispute with Cambodia.
