BANGKOK – Former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who has lived in self-imposed exile since 2017, is set to return to Thailand and face legal proceedings, according to a statement from Mr. Worachai Hema, a former Pheu Thai Party MP. Yingluck’s return is expected before the Songkran Festival in April 2025, as confirmed by her brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Mr. Worachai emphasized that Yingluck would undergo the legal process “without seeking any special privileges” and called for a fair reassessment of her treatment. Yingluck was sentenced in absentia to five years in prison in 2017 for alleged negligence in her government’s rice subsidy scheme. Critics argue that her legal troubles stemmed from politically motivated actions by the post-2014 coup military regime, which used broad powers under Article 44 to confiscate her assets even before the conclusion of her criminal case.
“I believe Yingluck has not been treated fairly,” Mr. Worachai said. He urged society to evaluate the justice of her treatment, stressing the need for national unity and reconciliation as Thailand moves forward.
Thaksin Shinawatra’s return in August 2023, after 15 years in exile, was seen as part of a political deal with the royalist establishment. Thaksin served a royally commuted six-month jail term and was released on parole in February 2024. Since then, his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, has been serving as Thailand’s Prime Minister.
Yingluck’s anticipated return highlights ongoing shifts in Thailand’s political landscape, with calls for reconciliation amid divisions between pro-democracy factions and royalist-conservative groups. Mr. Worachai urged critics not to politicize Yingluck’s return or use it to attack the current government.
“Let the country progress so the government can address issues of justice and the economic well-being of the people,” he said.