Thailand's former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was hospitalised after spending a night in jail post his historic return from self-exile. The 74-year-old was moved to the hospital over concerns about his heart and high blood pressure, news agency Reuters reported.
The Corrections Department issued a statement saying Thaksin felt tightness in his chest and high blood pressure, after which he was referred to Bangkok's police hospital at around 2 am on Wednesday, as reported by the news agency.
Police said Thaksin had to be moved as the prison lacked doctors and adequate medical equipment to take care of the former prime minister.
"The prison has assessed the situation and saw that it lacks doctors and medical equipment that can take care of the patient," Assistant National Police Chief Lieutenant General Prachuab Wongsuk told Reuters.
The fugitive figurehead of the populist movement Pheu Thai, Thaksin, appeared briefly with family members at Bangkok's Don Mueang airport and greeted a crowd of supporters on Tuesday, before bowing to a portrait of Thailand’s king.
Upon his return, his sister posted Yingluck took to social media and said, "The day my brother has waited for has arrived".
"For the past 17 years, you feel isolated, lonely, troubled and missing home but you persevered," Yingluck, who also lives n self-exile, said in the post.
Thaksin Shinawatra was the prime minister of Thailand from 2001 until he was ousted in a military coup in 2006 while he was attending a UN meeting in New York. His rule was toppled on allegations ofcorruption and disloyalty to the monarchy -- claimes he vehemently refuted, reported Reuters.
Fearing a jail sentence, he fled the country in 2008. Thaksin's arrival came as the lower house and military-appointed Senate was convening to vote on prime ministerial candidate Srettha Thavisin, a real estate mogul thrust into politics by Pheu Thai just a few months ago.
Taking to social media platform X, Srettha wrote, "Congratulations to the Shinawatra family and former PM Thaksin. Returning to your place of birth with your family, there is no greater happiness."