Thaksin returns to court smiling as he fights further asset seizures over a final ฿17.629 billion tax bill. His lawyers point to ฿46.37 billion already confiscated and a ฿15.88 billion overlap, while Revenue pursues assets at home and overseas today.
Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra swept into Bangkok’s Central Tax Court smiling on Wednesday as a ฿17.629 billion tax battle entered a decisive new phase. The Supreme Court has already upheld the debt, while the Revenue Department is tracing his assets at home and overseas and has raised the prospect of bankruptcy. However, Thaksin is fighting further seizures, arguing the state already confiscated ฿46.37 billion linked to his Shin Corp wealth. His lawyers say ฿15.88 billion behind the tax assessment was included in that earlier seizure. Now, he wants an injunction freezing enforcement while the Central Tax Court considers his challenge. Asked about his morale before entering court, Thaksin laughed and replied: “Relaxed.”
Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra returned to court Wednesday over the state’s pursuit of a ฿17.629 billion tax debt. This time, the dispute centres on enforcement rather than the tax bill itself. The Supreme Court upheld the Revenue Department’s assessment last year. Now, Thaksin wants the Central Tax Court to stop further seizures of his assets.
At the heart of his challenge is another huge sum. The state confiscated ฿46.37 billion from Thaksin under a separate Supreme Court judgment in 2010. His lawyers say approximately ฿15.88 billion underlying the later tax assessment was included in those confiscated assets. Accordingly, they argue another round of seizures would overlap with property already taken by the state.
Thaksin appeared personally at the Central Tax Court inside Bangkok’s Government Complex on Chaeng Watthana Road. His personal lawyer, Winyat Chatmontri, arrived at about 8.30 am. Winyat was there to receive his client but declined interviews with waiting reporters.
Thaksin arrives smiling for injunction hearing as ฿17.629 billion tax enforcement fight returns to court
Shortly afterwards, Thaksin arrived in a Rolls-Royce bearing Bangkok registration PJ 195. Reports placed his arrival at between 8.42 am and 8.43 am. The former prime minister stepped from the vehicle smiling before approaching the courthouse. Reporters immediately questioned him about his mood before the hearing.
Asked about his morale, Thaksin laughed before answering briefly. “Relaxed,” he said. Reporters then asked whether he was worried. However, he gave no further answer and entered the Central Tax Court.
Inside, judges were considering Thaksin’s request for temporary protection against further Revenue Department enforcement. He wants additional seizures and attachments stopped while his new lawsuit proceeds. Crucially, an injunction would not cancel the underlying tax liability. Nor would it reverse the Supreme Court judgment which confirmed it.
The debt stands at approximately ฿17.629 billion and stems from the 2006 Shin Corp share transaction. The tax dispute subsequently passed through years of litigation. Eventually, it reached the Supreme Court’s Tax Division.
On August 14, 2025, the Supreme Court delivered judgment No. 6890/2568. The ruling found that the Revenue Department’s tax assessment was justified. Consequently, the department secured a final judgment supporting the approximately ฿17.629 billion liability.
Revenue Department pursues Thaksin’s assets as his new lawsuit challenges enforcement of tax debt
That decision changed the nature of the battle. The question was no longer whether the tax assessment could stand. Instead, attention shifted towards collecting the money.
In response, the Revenue Department began pursuing Thaksin’s assets to satisfy the debt. Its enforcement efforts include tracing assets inside Thailand and overseas. Moreover, officials have pursued seizures and attachments as part of the collection process.
The department has also raised the possibility of bankruptcy proceedings if the debt cannot be recovered. That prospect adds another potential stage to the long-running dispute. For now, however, the immediate contest remains before the Central Tax Court.
Separately, Thaksin filed a new lawsuit against the Revenue Department on July 2, 2026. His action does not challenge the Supreme Court’s final ruling on the tax assessment. Rather, it attacks the way the department is enforcing that judgment.
That distinction is central to Wednesday’s hearing. Thaksin is not asking judges to erase the approximately ฿17.629 billion liability. The Supreme Court has already settled that matter. Instead, he wants the court to restrain further collection measures while his enforcement challenge proceeds.
Thaksin cites ฿46.37 billion confiscation as lawyers challenge further seizures over Shin Corp tax debt
Notably, his lawyers are relying heavily on the state’s earlier confiscation of ฿46.37 billion. That seizure followed a separate Supreme Court judgment delivered in February 2010. The case concerned assets connected with Thaksin’s Shin Corp wealth.
The 2010 proceedings were separate from the later tax case. Nevertheless, Thaksin’s lawyers say the earlier confiscation directly affects current enforcement. Their argument focuses particularly on approximately ฿15.88 billion in share income.
According to his legal team, that income underlies part of the subsequent tax assessment. Yet they maintain the same money was included within assets confiscated under the 2010 judgment. Therefore, they say additional seizures would create overlapping enforcement.
As part of this argument, the lawyers are asking the Central Tax Court for immediate protection. They want further seizures halted before the substantive case is decided. Wednesday’s hearing concerns that temporary measure rather than final determination of the lawsuit.
The financial numbers sharply define the dispute. The Revenue Department is pursuing approximately ฿17.629 billion under a final Supreme Court tax judgment. Meanwhile, the state previously confiscated ฿46.37 billion from Thaksin in the separate 2010 proceedings.
Lawyers focus on ฿15.88 billion overlap as Thaksin challenges collection of final ฿17.629 billion debt
Within those figures, approximately ฿15.88 billion has become critical to the latest case. Thaksin’s lawyers say that amount connects the tax assessment with assets already confiscated. On that basis, they challenge further enforcement against his remaining property.
In practical terms, Thaksin is fighting the collection mechanism rather than the debt itself. The Supreme Court’s 2025 judgment remains intact. Likewise, the Revenue Department continues to hold a final ruling supporting its assessment.
The roots of the dispute stretch back two decades. The Shin Corp share transaction took place in January 2006. Later that year, Thaksin’s government was removed in a military coup. Afterwards, extensive legal proceedings followed concerning assets linked to his Shin Corp interests.
One major case culminated in the Supreme Court’s February 2010 judgment. The court ordered the confiscation of ฿46.37 billion from Thaksin. However, the tax dispute developed separately and continued long afterwards.
On another front, the Revenue Department pursued tax connected with income arising from the 2006 share transaction. The resulting assessment became the subject of another lengthy court battle. Ultimately, that case reached the Supreme Court’s Tax Division.
Supreme Court tax ruling cleared the way for collection before Thaksin launched new challenge
Its August 2025 judgment settled the tax question in the Revenue Department’s favour. The court ruled that the department’s assessment was lawful. As a result, approximately ฿17.629 billion remained payable.
Enforcement followed. The Revenue Department began identifying assets which could be used to satisfy the outstanding debt. In parallel, its search extended beyond Thailand to assets overseas.
Thaksin then turned to the Central Tax Court. His July lawsuit challenges those collection measures by invoking the earlier asset confiscation. In particular, his lawyers contend that the state cannot disregard the ฿46.37 billion already taken.
Their argument does not change the legal status of the tax debt. Instead, it raises a question about what assets remain available for collection. That is the battleground now before the Central Tax Court.
Wednesday’s application adds urgency to that dispute. Thaksin wants enforcement frozen before the court determines his substantive case. If successful, temporary protection would prevent further seizures or attachments during the proceedings.
Any injunction would halt further seizures temporarily while leaving Thaksin’s ฿17.629 billion debt intact
Even then, the tax judgment would remain untouched. The approximately ฿17.629 billion liability would still stand. The Revenue Department would also retain its Supreme Court victory.
Instead, any injunction would temporarily restrict the department’s ability to enforce that liability against additional assets. The main lawsuit would then continue through the Central Tax Court.
For its part, the Revenue Department enters the dispute with a final Supreme Court judgment supporting its assessment. It has since acted to collect the money. Its efforts include tracing assets and pursuing enforcement measures against Thaksin.
By contrast, Thaksin’s legal challenge focuses on what the state has already taken. His lawyers say the previous ฿46.37 billion confiscation cannot be separated from current collection efforts. More specifically, they identify the approximately ฿15.88 billion overlap as central to their case.
Against that background, Wednesday’s hearing has a narrow but important purpose. Judges are not reconsidering the original tax assessment. Nor are they reopening the Supreme Court’s August 2025 judgment.
Central Tax Court weighs temporary halt to enforcement before Thaksin’s main case resumes on November 16
Instead, they are considering whether Revenue Department enforcement should temporarily stop. That decision comes before the next scheduled stage of the substantive lawsuit.
The Central Tax Court has set November 16 for a preliminary hearing and witness examination. Thus, the main case will continue regardless of Wednesday’s immediate application. The temporary injunction could determine what enforcement action occurs before then.
By late Wednesday morning, no decision on Thaksin’s request had been announced. Additionally, the court had published no specific time for delivering its order. October 7 was scheduled for the injunction hearing, not a pre-announced judgment.
As a result, judges could issue an order following Wednesday’s proceedings. Alternatively, they could reserve the decision and announce it later. The November 16 hearing remains separately scheduled for the substantive lawsuit.
For Thaksin, the latest courtroom fight follows years of litigation stemming from the Shin Corp transaction. Yet Wednesday’s dispute is tightly focused. The tax liability has already survived the final legal challenge against it.
Revenue Department pursues final tax debt as Thaksin asks court to block further seizures of his assets
What remains contested is the Revenue Department’s effort to collect the money through further asset seizures. Thaksin says earlier confiscations must be taken into account. His lawyers have therefore asked the Central Tax Court to intervene before more assets are taken.
The Revenue Department, meanwhile, is pursuing approximately ฿17.629 billion under a judgment upheld by the Supreme Court. Its enforcement campaign has included tracing assets both domestically and overseas. Bankruptcy proceedings could eventually follow if recovery efforts fail.
Thaksin seeks injunctive relief from Revenue efforts to collect 17 billion tax judgment in August 2025
Thaksin faces his latest legal and financial hurdle with Revenue threat to bankrupt him over tax debt
Against this stands the ฿46.37 billion confiscated from Thaksin under the separate 2010 judgment. Within that amount, his lawyers highlight approximately ฿15.88 billion linked to the later tax assessment. They argue this creates an overlap which should stop additional seizures.
Wednesday morning, however, Thaksin showed little outward concern as he arrived for the hearing. He stepped from his Rolls-Royce smiling as reporters surrounded the entrance.
Asked about his morale, he laughed and replied: “Relaxed.”
