Supporters of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra gathered outside a jail to protest his arrest.

More than 50 people held a 'lunch protest' outside the notorious Klong Prem Central Prison - also known as the Bangkok Hilton - where the ex Man City owner is detained.

They occupied the sidewalks in front of the jail, handing out chicken biryani, mango sticky rice, drinking water, fried bananas, and boiled corn for the 'Lunch with Thaksin' demonstration on September 13.

Tempers flared when a motorcycle rider confronted the group at 10 am. He was later dragged by cops to the police station for driving a vehicle without a license plate.

Judges last week 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 cushy police hospital.

A judge stated 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 full term 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 then returned from exile in Dubai.

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 11.54 am.

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

After the ruling last week, 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.'