Thailand’s jailed ex-PM Thaksin hospitalised after return from exile: Police

BANGKOK: Thailand’s jailed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was moved to a police hospital overnight after suffering a health problem on his first day of detention following his return from years of exile, police said on Wednesday (Aug 23).

The status of the health of 74-year-old Thaksin was not immediately clear.

But a prisons department official said on Wednesday that the former leader was hospitalised because he had high blood pressure from being unable to sleep on his first night in jail.

“The prison asked doctors and nurses to diagnose him and they recommended referring the case to the police hospital for the safety of the prisoner,” Ayuth Sintoppant, Director General of Department of Corrections told Reuters, adding eight guards accompanied him. 

Earlier, corrections department officials had on Tuesday said Thaksin had pre-existing issues with his heart, lungs and spine and blood pressure, and he would be monitored closely.

“The prison has assessed the situation and saw that it lacks doctors and medical equipment that can take care of the patient so he was sent to the police hospital,” Assistant National Police Chief Lieutenant General Prachuab Wongsuk told Reuters.

Prachuab did not specify the health problem.

The Supreme Court confirmed on Tuesday Thaksin would have to serve eight years in prison after convictions for abuse of power and conflicts of interest.