Thaksin probe welcome

Later is always better than never. The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions is doing the right thing in deciding to launch an inquiry into claims of improper enforcement of the prison sentence against former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

- 

The top court said on Wednesday it would launch an inquiry to find out whether officials involved strictly enforced the court verdict, or bent the rules to enable the former PM to serve his 180-day jail term on the 14th floor of the Police General Hospital (PGH), by citing his “life-threatening” illnesses as a cause.

The Department of Corrections (DoC) let Thaksin continue receiving treatment at the hospital after the end of the 120-day deadline set for him to return to prison.

In the end, he did not spend any time in jail at all, of course. He was whisked to the PGH right away on the grounds of being seriously ill, hours after he returned to Thailand to serve justice on Aug 22, 2023. His original jail term was commuted from eight years to one year by royal clemency.