Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin jailed for 8 years after return from exile

Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Exiled former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Thailand on Tuesday 15 years after fleeing corruption charges after he was ousted in a military coup.

Thaksin, who has spent most of his time abroad living in Dubai, announced his comeback on social media after a previously announced return on Aug. 10 was postponed to allow time for a medical.

"Tomorrow at 9 o'clock I would like to request permission to return to live in the land of Thailand and breathe the same air as my Thai brothers and sisters," Thaksin wrote in a Twitter post on Monday.

The 74-year-old, who touched down from Singapore at Bangkok's Don Muang International Airport as parliament sat to vote for a new prime minister, was detained and taken to the Supreme Court where he was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Since departing the country in 2008, Thaksin's sentence has grown into a 12 year-term across at least three separate corruption cases by the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Office. Thaksin has always maintained that his legal woes are an effort by political opponents to neutralize him.

Given he has evaded the long arm of the Thai legal system for such an extended period of time, speculation is widespread that the manner of Tuesday's highly choreographed return suggests he has cut a deal that will see him serve only token jail time.

Thaksin might also possibly launch a bid for a royal pardon from King Vajiralongkorn with authorities at Bangkok Remand Prison where he is being held saying he can submit a petition immediately, although it can take up to two months to know if it will be successful.

In court he received a three-year sentence and a two-year sentence, to run concurrently, for a conflict of interest case involving the loaning of $114,400 to Myanmar in 2004 at a below-market rate of interest to enable it to purchase goods from his Shin Satellite company and abuse of power in establishing a lottery without legal authority.

The five-year term was for misconduct in relation to phone concessions and conflict of interest during his term in office which ran 2001 through September 2006 when he was deposed in a military coup while he was in New York attending a U.N. summit.

His return comes as parliament voted to select a new prime minister three months after elections failed to produce a clear winner, with the second-placed Pheu Thai Party that Thaksin has thrown his considerable weight behind leading efforts to form a government after Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat was unable to secure the premiership.