Thailand’s Thaksin delays return from exile by two weeks

FORMER Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra postponed a plan to return from 15 years of self-imposed exile by two weeks as a political party backed by his family faces hurdles in forming a government.

Thaksin said he decided to delay the return date originally set for Aug 10 because he needed to do a health check-up, according to a post on X, a platform formerly known as Twitter. He faces a 10-year prison term for various corruption convictions that were handed down in absentia.

Parliament cancelled plans to hold a vote on Friday (Aug 4) to select a prime minister, prolonging a political stalemate that’s kept investors on edge since the May election. The delay of the vote came hours before the Thaksin-linked Pheu Thai Party was due to unveil a new coalition that will nominate Srettha Thavisin, a property tycoon, as its prime minister candidate. BLOOMBERG