Thailand braces for crisis as trials and protests loom

Thailand's controversial ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra goes on trial for lese-majeste next week with the kingdom teetering on the brink of political chaos, as his daughter faces being sacked as prime minister and activists threaten mass protests.

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Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy looks set for a new round of the turmoil that has periodically gripped it over the last two decades as conservative forces renew their long-running tussle with the Shinawatra dynasty.

The coming weeks will see a series of court hearings that could terminate Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s brief political career and send her 75-year-old billionaire father to jail.

Thaksin goes on trial from Tuesday accused of insulting the monarchy, which under Thailand’s strict royal defamation laws could bring a maximum 15-year jail sentence. The allegations stem from an interview he gave in 2015 to a South Korean newspaper, with the trial set to last three weeks. A verdict is not expected for at least a month after that.

Meanwhile, Cambodia's influential ex-premier Hun Sen on Friday accused Paetongtarn of insulting the Thai king, as tensions between the neighbouring countries intensified.