Thaksin Seeks Asset Protection in Shin Corp Tax Case
Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra testified at the Central Tax Court seeking temporary protection of his assets, including two bullet‑proof cars, amid a Revenue Department demand for 17.6 billion baht in taxes on the sale of Shin Corp shares. He warned that if the seized vehicles are auctioned he would need costly replacements, and argued the tax claim duplicates a previous 46 billion baht settlement, calling for a fairness review. The court is scheduled to rule on November 16.
On October 7, 2026, at the Central Tax Court in the Government Complex commemorating His Majesty on Chaeng Watthana Road, the court held a hearing on Thaksin Shinawatra’s request for temporary protection of his assets against the Revenue Department. Thaksin filed the suit over the department’s demand for 17.6 billion baht in taxes on the sale of Shin Corp shares to Temasek, a claim that follows a prior Supreme Court Political Division ruling that seized those assets for the state. Thaksin testified personally, saying five vehicles were seized, two of which are specially ordered bullet‑proof cars due to multiple assassination attempts during and after his premiership; he warned that if the cars are confiscated he would need to replace them, a process that would take considerable time. He told opposing counsel that the vehicles remain in his possession but could be auctioned off if left unattended, and noted he has no income from those share sales to use as collateral to delay tax payment. Thaksin added that being in court now feels like being a 'full‑tray fruit' offered to the judiciary after the coup, arguing that the share transaction did not harm the state and that he was abroad when the ruling came, yet he respects the decision. He likened the tax assessment to a poisoned tree, saying the Ministry of Finance is the father and the Revenue Department the son; having paid his debt to the father, the son still comes to him for payment. He also mentioned rumors of a potential bankruptcy filing due to insufficient funds to cover additional asset seizures for tax payment. The plaintiff’s side called an ex‑Revenue Department official as a witness, while the defense presented two legal officers from the department who testified about procedures and opinions on tax collection. During the fourth prosecution witness’s testimony, Thaksin asked the court’s permission to leave due to prior engagements, which was granted. Before departing, he smiled and said there was nothing more to say. Later, his lawyer Winyu Chaitram told reporters that the lawsuit raises issues previously decided in earlier cases, asserting that this case repeats matters already ruled on by the Supreme Court Tax Division. He explained that the earlier judgment concerned the Revenue Department’s assessment process, including summonses and compliance with internal procedures. After that ruling, the department has continued to press for tax debt, seizing approximately 90 million baht in bank accounts, five vehicles, and land jointly owned with his sister in Chiang Mai, two of which are bullet‑proof cars.
