PUBLISHED : 24 Dec 2023 at 06:32
The Department of Corrections and the Police General Hospital complied with regulations in allowing convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to stay on at the hospital, says Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
The PM was responding to criticism of the department’s decision on Friday to permit Thaksin to continue receiving treatment at the Police General Hospital.
He was admitted on Aug 22, hours after returning from years of self-imposed exile overseas.
He spent a few hours at Bangkok Remand Prison before he was transferred to the hospital’s premium ward.
Mr Srettha also denied reports that a meeting with Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong at Government House on Friday concerned the ministry’s handling of the Thaksin’s case.
He said the pair discussed other issues, including the pork smuggling problem and Stark Corp scandal. The PM said he didn’t ask about the Thaksin case.
“I believe both the department and the hospital have their own regulations to follow when it comes to handling a sick inmate and they do just as they are required to do.
“I am confident they have complied with the regulations,’’ Mr Srettha said.
As for a new regulation allowing prisoners to serve their remaining jail term outside prison, which has drawn criticism that the Pheu Thai Party-led government is attempting to help Thaksin to avoid serving any sentence in jail at all, Mr Srettha said the regulation was proposed by the Prayut Chan-o-cha administration in 2017.
The Department of Corrections says it is merely issuing a regulation under a law which was already in place, and denies anything suspect about the timing.
Chaichana Detdacho, a Democrat Party MP for Nakhon Si Thammarat and chairman of the House committee on police affairs, meanwhile, shrugged off a remark by Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsutin of possible legal action.
He warned the House committee that it could face legal action if it forces its way into the premium ward on the 14th floor of the hospital to see if Thaksin is really there.
This warning came along with a remark by Winyat Chatmontree, Thaksin’s lawyer, who threatened to pursue a libel suit against any parties seeking to have Thaksin’s personal medical information exposed.
Mr Chaichana on Saturday affirmed the House committee’s plan to visit Thaksin at the hospital on Jan 12 to see if he really is there and sick enough to justify his extended stay at the hospital.
“I am not afraid of a lawsuit threat as I believe I am working in search of the truth most people are eager to know — if Thaksin is there at the hospital and seriously ill as claimed,’’ he said. The House committee has the authority to probe this matter, he said.
The committee is seeking written permission from the DoC to visit Thaksin and if the department doesn’t allow the visit, it would have to tell the public why, said Mr Chaichana.
Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, a Move Forward Party (MFP) list-MP, said in an X post that he wasn’t objecting to Thaksin being allowed to receive treatment outside prison for this long. However, he does expect the DoC to apply the regulations on inmates receiving treatment outside prison to every other eligible prisoner as well.
“There should be a clear norm which applies to all other prisoners too, to prevent a double standard in this particular practice,” said Mr Wiroj. “Thaksin deserves justice, not privileges.”
Thepthai Senpong, a former Democrat MP, who has served time in prison, said Thaksin’s lawyer was using a familiar tactic of silencing Thaksin’s critics by threatening to sue them.
Now it’s evident he is being treated differently from the more-than 400,000 other prisoners behind bars, people are within their rights to express their opinions and call for fairness for other inmates, said Mr Thepthai.
Vorachai Hema, an adviser to Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, said Thaksin’s critics held grudges against Thaksin.