Former Thai Leader Thaksin Cleared of Royal Insult Charges

Former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra was cleared of royal defamation charges, a major reprieve for the politician whose family-backed parties have held sway over the nation’s politics for more than two decades.

A criminal court in Bangkok on Friday cleared 76-year-old Thaksin of allegations that he had violated the royal insult law over comments he made to a South Korean media outlet in 2015, according to his lawyer Winyat Chatmontree. The prosecution can challenge the ruling in a higher court.