The Supreme Court of Thailand has ordered billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra, former prime minister, to pay 17.6 billion baht for taxes and penalties related to the sale of Shin Corp.

The Supreme Court of Thailand decided on Monday that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra must pay 17.6 billion baht (approximately 542 million dollars) as a result of a tax decision related to the sale of his company Shin Corp. to the investment firm Temasek, nearly 20 years ago. The court annulled previous rulings that had rejected the taxation imposed by the Revenue Department. This decision comes after Thaksin was sentenced to one year in prison for corruption and abuse of power. In 2006, he sold 49% of Shin Corp. for 73.3 billion baht, benefiting from a legislative change that increased the limit on foreign ownership. This transaction sparked massive protests and led to his removal through a military coup. Thaksin, with an estimated fortune of 2.1 billion dollars, spent a long time in exile but returned in 2023, subsequently being sentenced and released on probation. Recently, the court ruled that his hospitalization cannot be considered time served from his sentence.