Former Thai Prime Minister Cleared of Insulting Thailand’s Former King

King Bhumibol—who was the world’s longest reigning monarch—died in 2016 at age 88.
Former Thai Prime Minister Cleared of Insulting Thailand’s Former King
Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra (C) leaves the court after being acquitted of royal defamation at the Criminal Court in Bangkok, Thailand, on Aug. 22, 2025. Sakchai Lalit/AP
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Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was acquitted of defaming the country’s former king in an interview in 2015, by a court in Bangkok on Friday.

Shinawatra, 76, and his aides wore yellow ties—a color associated with the former king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, and the monarchy in general—at the hearing at the Bangkok Criminal Court, and afterward, he left without responding to questions from journalists.

Chris Summers
Chris Summers
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Chris Summers is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of national stories, with a particular interest in crime, policing and the law.