Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is suffering from high blood pressure, sleep issues and hair loss, said his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, after his family made a visit to Klong Prem Central Prison, where the 76-year-old is housed.
Paetongtarn, herself also a former prime minister, provided the latest update after she and her older sister Pintongta Shinawatra, along with their husbands, visited Thaksin in the morning.
It was the second time the family had visited him. Paetongtarn was accompanied by her husband, Pitaka Suksawat, and Pintongta by Nuttaphong Kunakornwong.
Speaking to reporters after leaving the prison, Paetongtarn said they met and talked to Thaksin for only 15 minutes.
“Today, we left early because dad was not doing well.
“He has high blood pressure and said he felt fatigued. Although he has had his hair cut short, it is still falling, possibly due to tension. Anyway, dad still smiled. He said he could not sleep well but is still in good spirits,” she said.
As the family reached the front of the prison, a group of supporters in red shirts handed five amulets and a portrait of a respected monk to Paetongtarn.
They asked her to keep the gifts, saying the amulets would bless the Shinawatra family.
Pintongta was carrying a white envelope with “Grandpa Thaksin” written in pink and a small drawing in the corner.
She said her eldest daughter wrote a letter on behalf of all seven of Thaksin’s grandchildren because he missed them.
Kanokwan Jiewchuaphan, deputy spokesman for the Corrections Department, said Thaksin would see a psychologist during his routine medical check-ups for new inmates. — The Nation/ANN
