Thailand's ex-PM Thaksin to serve 8 years in jail - court statement

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is expected to be arrested upon his return as he ends almost two decades of self-imposed exile, waves at Don Mueang airport in Bangkok, Thailand August 22, 2023. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who returned from self-exile on Tuesday, will serve a total of eight years in prison, according to a statement by the Supreme Court.

The jail term covers three different cases for abuse of power and malfeasance, illegally ordering a state-run bank to issue a foreign loan, and illegally holding shares via nominees. Thaksin was taken to the Supreme Court earlier on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat and Panu Wongcha-um; Writing by Martin Petty)