Rangsiman accuses Paetongtarn of covering up Thaksin’s ‘illness’
At the censure debate today, People’s Party MP Rangsiman Rome launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, accusing her of failing to act on the allegations that her father, former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, faked a severe illness to avoid imprisonment.
Rangsiman claims that senior government officials conspired to ensure Thaksin remained out of jail after his return to Thailand in August 2023.
Rangsiman’s 100-minute speech, delivered during the second day of the censure debate, was frequently interrupted by Pheu Thai MPs, who objected to his references to an outsider unable to defend himself. Despite these interruptions, Rangsiman pressed on, accusing the 38 year old PM of dereliction of duty for not launching an investigation into the alleged conspiracy.
He claimed that although the supposed faking of Thaksin’s illness occurred before Paetongtarn took office in August last year, she failed to hold those responsible accountable for letting her father stay in a VIP room at the Police Hospital rather than serving his sentence in prison.
One of Rangsiman’s more explosive claims was that Paetongtarn had provided Thaksin with a mobile phone while he was in “detention,” violating Corrections Department rules that prohibit inmates from using phones.
Rangsiman argued that this act of assisting her father to avoid jail demonstrated Paetongtarn’s lack of integrity in governing the country. He further alleged that she was among the few people who were permitted to visit Thaksin in his hospital room, contradicting the standard protocols for detained individuals.
Rangsiman also accused the former administration of former PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha of striking a deal with Thaksin to allow his return to Thailand under conditions that kept him in the hospital instead of the Bangkok Remand Prison.
Paetongtarn, he claimed, was involved in this arrangement, ensuring that Thaksin never spent a night behind bars. He pointed to the fact that Thaksin had personally drafted his royal clemency appeal just seven days after being admitted to the hospital, despite claims of being critically ill.
Rangsiman presented further evidence from the National Human Rights Commission, which raised doubts over Thaksin’s fluctuating health, suggesting he had faked his illness to justify his hospital stay.
The MP also accused Paetongtarn of rewarding those who helped keep Thaksin out of prison, including appointing the chief of the Police Hospital to a lucrative position at IRPC, reported The Nation.
In his closing remarks, Rangsiman likened Paetongtarn’s actions to orchestrating a jailbreak and accused officials from the Police Hospital and Corrections Department of engaging in organised crime.
“If the criminal den known as Chan Song Lar is raided, many wrongdoers will be brought to justice.”
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