Thailand's Supreme Court has ordered former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to serve one year in prison. The ruling comes after the court determined that Thaksin had not sufficiently completed a previous jail sentence stemming from a past conviction. Thaksin was originally sentenced to eight years in prison for charges related to conflicts of interest and abuse of power. However, this sentence was later commuted to one year by the king, and Thaksin was released on parole after serving just six months.

During his time in custody, Thaksin spent the entire six months in the VIP section of a hospital, citing chest pains immediately after the court's verdict. His attempts to evade a longer prison term have sparked significant public skepticism and outrage.

Last week, Thaksin left Thailand unexpectedly for Dubai, leading to rampant speculation that he had fled the country to escape a potential jail sentence. However, he returned to Thailand on his private jet on Monday.

Thaksin had previously lived in exile for 15 years, primarily in Dubai, following his ousting as prime minister in a military coup in 2006. His return to Thailand and the recent court ruling have reignited discussions about his controversial political legacy.