Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin's Return Delayed Again: "Postponed for a Few Weeks Due to Medical Checkup"

Thaksin Chinnawat.

As the election of the next prime minister in Thailand is delayed, causing ongoing political turmoil, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is currently fleeing abroad, has decided to postpone his return to the country once again.

According to foreign and local media on the 5th, Thaksin stated on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "I need to undergo a medical examination, so I am postponing my return by a few weeks."

After the general election held on May 14, the Move Forward Party (MFP), which won 151 seats and became the largest party, began pushing to form a coalition government with seven opposition parties including his affiliated Pheu Thai Party (141 seats), prompting Thaksin to cautiously consider returning.

Meanwhile, when Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward Party, failed to pass the prime minister election vote in parliament last month and was not re-nominated as a candidate, allowing the Pheu Thai Party to take the lead in forming the new government, Thaksin began actively promoting his return.

Initially, Thaksin announced he would return before his birthday on July 26, but postponed it citing political instability after the election. Later, through his youngest daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, he re-announced his return scheduled for the 10th.

The Pheu Thai Party nominated Srettha Thavisin, former chairman of the real estate conglomerate Sansiri, as their prime minister candidate, and the parliament planned to hold the prime minister election vote on the 4th.

However, the Constitutional Court announced the day before the vote that it would decide on the constitutionality of the parliament’s refusal to re-nominate candidates on the 16th, resulting in the postponement of the prime minister election vote.

Earlier, the Ombudsman Office, a national anti-corruption agency, petitioned the Constitutional Court to rule on the constitutionality of the parliament’s refusal to re-nominate candidates. In response, a Pheu Thai Party official stated, "Thaksin’s return will be postponed until the coalition government is formed." Subsequently, Thaksin himself directly announced the postponement of his return on social media the day before.

Some analysts suggest that Thaksin initially announced his return to rally supporters and create a favorable situation for the Pheu Thai Party’s rise to power, but considering various political variables under the still-powerful military, he is now backtracking.

Thaksin, who served as prime minister from 2001 to 2006, fled abroad in 2008 ahead of trials on charges including corruption after being ousted by a military coup.

He was sentenced to a total of 12 years in prison in several trials, and except for cases where the statute of limitations has expired, he still faces 10 years of imprisonment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.