Former Thailand’s prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra has been jailed upon returning to the country after 15 years in exile.

 

He arrived on Tuesday morning, August 22,  in a private jet, ahead of the forthcoming election to elect a new next Thai leader.

He arrived to cheers from hundreds of loyal “red shirt” supporters who had gathered overnight to see him, but he never greeted most of them.

 

Upon his return, he was then sentenced to eight years, on former criminal convictions he claims were politically motivated.

 

The 74-year-old was immediately taken to the Supreme Court where he was sentenced to eight years on three former convictions, and then to Bangkok Remand Prison.

 

Prison authorities there say he will be kept in a wing with specific medical equipment, given his advanced age. He will also immediately undergo a 10-day quarantine – the first five days of which he will be confined to his room, authorities said.

 

He will serve eight years in prison, according to a Supreme Court statement. However, many commentators have speculated that his arrival in the country coincides with his party’s likely return to office and that a deal may mean he does not have to serve a full sentence. His age could also mean he is granted some leniency.

Prison authorities there say he will be kept in a wing with specific medical equipment, given his advanced age. He will also immediately undergo a 10-day quarantine – the first five days of which he will be confined to his room, authorities said.

BBC reports that Mr. Thaksin, Thailand’s most successful elected leader, has long been feared by conservative royalists, who have backed military coups and contentious court cases to weaken him.