Thaksin faces first witness hearings in lese majeste case
Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra appears for the first prosecution witness hearings in his lese majeste case, while his legal team challenges evidence and procedural matters."
The Criminal Court on Ratchadapisek Road held the first prosecution witness hearing on Tuesday (July 1, 2025) in a case where the public prosecutor has filed charges against former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for allegedly insulting the monarchy under Section 112 of the Penal Code and violating the Computer Crime Act.
The case stems from an interview Thaksin gave to South Korean media in 2015, in which he allegedly made remarks disrespecting the monarchy. Thaksin has denied the charges and has been granted bail.
Thaksin's personal lawyer, Winyat Chatmontri, stated that the prosecution would present about three witnesses from the ten originally listed, with the trial expected to last three days. As the defence attorney, his role would be to cross-examine the witnesses.
He explained that Thaksin was required to attend court today because the defendant had been granted temporary release and needed to appear in court. He added that it remained to be seen whether the Criminal Court would impose any specific conditions for the proceedings.
When asked whether the defence would file a motion for a trial in absentia, Winyat replied that under the Criminal Procedure Code, the penalty for the charges in this case exceeds ten years, which likely excludes the possibility of such an exception. However, Thaksin wished to personally attend the trial.
The entire case involves seven court hearings, with 14 defence witnesses. The first defence witness testimony is scheduled for July 15, followed by three more hearings. The prosecution will call ten witnesses, with the prosecution's hearings scheduled for July 1–3.
All witness testimonies may be concluded before the seventh hearing, or the process could take the full seven hearings, with the final witness hearing set for July 23.
When asked if the defence had concerns regarding the video clip of Thaksin's interview with South Korean media, Winyat confirmed that the defence had issues with the video and would challenge its credibility in court. The defence will present evidence on how the clip was obtained and question its reliability.
Later, former Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, Thaksin’s brother-in-law, arrived at the court and briefly stated that he was there to offer moral support to Thaksin as a fellow citizen. Somchai mentioned that Thaksin’s lawyers had not listed him as a defence witness in this case, and it was the lawyers’ responsibility to submit the names of the defence witnesses.
At 9.18am, Thaksin arrived at the court in a Mercedes-Benz. He avoided using the main courthouse stairs and instead took the side elevator to avoid the large crowd of journalists and photographers waiting outside to cover the case.
On this day, the Criminal Court held a closed hearing, prohibiting the public and media from entering the courtroom.
