Jailed former Thai PM Thaksin gets extension to hospital stint

FILE PHOTO: 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/File Photo

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's jailed former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been allowed to remain in hospital for medical treatment, the corrections department said on Thursday, citing the need to continue to closely monitor his health.

The billionaire figurehead of the ruling Pheu Thai Party has been in hospital since his return in August from 15 years of self-imposed exile, after complaining of chest tightness and high blood pressure within hours of arriving at a Bangkok jail to serve eight years for abuse of power.