Supporters of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra gathered outside court today as judges jailed him for one year.

Footage shows the disgraced mogul's daughter, Paetongtarn, speaking to reporters at the Supreme Court in Bangkok, Thailand, on Tuesday morning. Her notoriously corrupt father was later hauled away in prison vans.

Paetongtarn, who was ousted from her role as PM last month over a leaked phone call with Cambodian dictator Hun Sen, said: ‘At present, my family and I are naturally concerned for our father. Yet we also feel proud that he has made history in this country.

‘Today also marks another chapter in history, with a former prime minister becoming the first to face imprisonment. Though this may be difficult, he and our family remain strong in spirit.'

Judges ruled that billionaire ex Man City owner Thaksin must serve a one-year prison sentence for corruption, that he had previously dodged by claiming to be sick and serving only part of the sentence in a police hospital.

A judge stated today that sending him to the hospital was not legal because his illness was not an urgent matter, and time spent in the hospital could not be counted as a prison term. They said he must serve the term in full in a real prison.

Thaksin had originally faced an eight-year sentence for three corruption cases before it was reduced to one year under a royal pardon.

He was transferred out of Bangkok Remand Prison on the night of August 22, 2023, citing a sudden medical emergency, and was admitted to Police General Hospital.

He remained there until February 18, 2024, when he was released on special parole, never returning to prison. Critics raised questions over whether he had ever spent a single night in prison.

Following today's verdict, Thaksin arrived at Bangkok Special Remand Prison in a Department of Corrections jail van at 11.54am.

He has now begun the initial intake process, which includes a general physical examination.

After the ruling, Thaksin released a statement. He said: ‘I humbly accept and am ready to undergo the process according to today's court order.

‘From this day on, even though I will be without freedom, I still have freedom of thought for the benefit of the country and its people.

‘I will maintain my physical and mental strength to use the rest of my life to serve the monarchy, the Thai nation, and the Thai people, no matter what my status may be from now on.'