Following his indictment on lese majeste charges, or defaming the royal family, on Tuesday, former Thai Prime Minister (PM) Thaksin Shinawatra was granted 500K baht ($13.6K) bail by the Criminal Court of Thailand.
Thaksin is charged with defaming the monarchy during an interview he gave to a South Korean newspaper nine years ago, during which he accused the King's advisory council of helping conduct a coup the year before.
Thaksin is a corrupt businessman-turned-politician who, despite his indictments and previous parole status, decided to act as a de facto diplomat by meeting with foreign governments. Instead of allowing the MFP to take charge and make real change, Thaksin's Pheu Thai Party is also proposing economic policies that would benefit his corporate friends over working-class people.
Thaksin's wealth doesn't mean he's an elitist. Upon entering politics he garnered a voter base of working-class Thais, particularly farmers, whom he provided lower healthcare costs. As Thaksin's anti-monarchy platform inspired regular people to speak out themselves, however, the military establishment cracked down on him and his supporters through coups and lawfare.