Bangkok, November 17th, 2025– In a turn that has reignited political tensions, Thailand’s Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has ordered an appeal against the acquittal of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on lèse-majesté charges, defying a prior committee recommendation and drawing sharp reactions from his family and supporters.
The decision, announced late last week and confirmed today, stems from a high-profile case under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, Thailand’s strict lèse-majesté law prohibiting insults to the monarchy. Thaksin, 76, was acquitted by the Criminal Court on August 22nd, 2025, in a ruling that found insufficient evidence linking his 2015 interview with South Korean broadcaster KBS to any direct defamation of the Thai royal institution. The court stated that the video clip in question targeted specific political figures rather than the monarchy itself, deeming the prosecution’s witnesses, some of whom had publicly opposed Thaksin for decades, as biased and lacking credibility.
Despite this, OAG chief Itthiporn Kaewtip, who previously chaired the review committee as deputy attorney general, exercised his discretionary authority over the extraterritorial case to push forward the appeal. In September 2025, a specialized OAG committee on Section 112 cases voted 8-2 against appealing, citing the weakness of the evidence after reviewing the file forwarded by then-Attorney General Pairat Pornsombunsirirat. However, with the appeal deadline extended twice by the court to November 21st, Itthiporn ruled that Thaksin’s statements constituted an offense warranting higher judicial scrutiny by the Court of Appeal. The order has been forwarded to the Office of the Criminal Case Prosecutor 8 for formal filing.
The move has deepened divisions in Thailand’s polarized political landscape. Thaksin’s daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, visited him at Bangkok’s Klong Prem Central Prison this afternoon, where he is serving time on a separate corruption conviction. Emerging emotional, she revealed her father’s profound disappointment: “He’s heartbroken and hurt by the Attorney General’s decision to appeal the Section 112 case.” She vowed the family would fight on if justice remains elusive, while son Panthongtae admitted the news had left them “spiritually shaken” but grateful for public support.
Conservative voices, however, hailed the appeal as a victory for legal accountability. Ramet Rattanachewang, a Democrat Party secretary, called it “good news to usher in the new year,” arguing that such a significant case demands review by higher courts to uphold the law’s integrity. Critics, including Thaksin loyalists, decry it as politically motivated, pointing to Itthiporn’s reversal of his own committee’s stance as evidence of external pressure. They also claim it is primarily meant to keep Thaksin in prison longer, especially during any upcoming election, as inmates facing other legal charges are not generally eligible for parole, which he would have been soon otherwise. Supporters of the appeal, however, state it is about justice and not politically motivated.
Thaksin, a polarizing figure who returned from exile in 2024, now faces prolonged uncertainty amid his imprisonment and advisory role to the Pheu Thai-led government. The Court of Appeal’s ruling could reshape not just his fate, but the boundaries of free speech in the kingdom.
For the original version of this article, please visit The Pattaya News.
