From Luxury to Prison Hardship: Thaksin Must Sleep on the Floor
Bangkok – The dramatic fall of Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is complete. Just one hour after the Supreme Court sentenced the 76-year-old billionaire to one year in prison, he was transported to the notorious Klong Prem prison. The conditions there must come as a shock to a man used to luxury:
Three thin blankets to sleep on a hard floor, open communal showers, and constant risks of violence. The maximum-security facility in northern Bangkok houses around 6,500 inmates, including murderers, drug traffickers, and other serious criminals. Only hours earlier, Thaksin had been chauffeured in his Mercedes-Maybach and lived in a lavish, high-walled villa. Now he must adapt to life behind bars, described by a former inmate as “extremely depressing.”
From VIP Clinic to Prison Hell
Thaksin’s path to prison is particularly bitter. Originally sentenced to eight years for conflicts of interest and abuse of power during his 2001–2006 tenure, his term was reduced to one year by royal pardon. After returning from exile in August 2023, he served six months entirely in the VIP section of the Police General Hospital – a luxury the court now ruled unlawful.
Since his probationary release in February 2024, he enjoyed his familiar luxury lifestyle: rides in a Mercedes-Maybach, private jet flights, and life in his multi-million villa. That era has abruptly ended. After medical checks, he was immediately admitted to Klong Prem, which previously held international criminals such as arms dealer Viktor Bout, the “Merchant of Death.”
Sleeping Among Murderers and Drug Dealers
Prison life is harsh: all inmates, regardless of age, sleep side by side on the bare floor. “Each person gets three blankets,” explains a former prison officer – “one as a mattress, one rolled as a pillow, and one for covering.” Occasionally a fourth blanket is provided, but this is rare.
Activist Somyot Pruksakasemsuk, who spent more than seven years in Thai prisons, describes the conditions as “agonizing.” The food is “bland and monotonous,” but the open shower areas are far more dangerous: “Showers are high-risk for assaults or even murder,” he warns. “Inmates can start fights that escalate.” Thaksin is currently in a five-day quarantine period, during which he has no direct contact with his lawyer or visitors.
Bodyguards or Mortal Enemies: Thaksin’s Uncertain Future
Thaksin’s security situation is particularly sensitive. Due to his political past, he could face hostility from some inmates while gaining allies from others. “He may encounter hostility from separatists angered by his policies, drug traffickers, or relatives of people imprisoned or killed during his administration,” a former officer notes.
Conversely, his power and influence might encourage other prisoners to act as bodyguards or supporters – in prison terminology, such a figure is called a “Somdet” or “big man.” The 11-zone facility will likely house him with older political prisoners rather than murderers or drug traffickers. Still, it remains uncertain how long the 76-year-old will actually remain behind bars, as alternatives such as house arrest or other forms of confinement outside the prison are possible.