• Thailand's Supreme Court orders Thaksin Shinawatra to pay approximately $540 million in taxes.
• The ruling pertains to a controversial 2006 share sale of his telecommunications firm to Singapore's Temasek.
• This decision revives political tensions surrounding Thaksin, who is already serving a prison sentence for corruption.
• The case has historical significance, contributing to Thaksin's ousting in a coup nearly 19 years ago.
• Thaksin's family continues to face legal challenges and political setbacks in Thailand.

Thailand's Supreme Court has mandated that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra pay back taxes amounting to 17.6 billion baht (approximately $540 million) related to the sale of his telecommunications company, Shin Corp, to Singapore's Temasek Holdings back in 2006. The court overruled a previous appeals court decision, asserting that Thaksin must comply with the Revenue Department’s order, according to Channel News Asia and South China Morning Post.

The tax dispute had originally surfaced in 2017, igniting long-standing political tensions between Thaksin's populist supporters and Thailand's military-aligned elite. Media reports indicate that the former Prime Minister has faced intense scrutiny over the tax-free sale of his shares, which reportedly earned his family a $1.9 billion profit, as highlighted by The Jakarta Post and South China Morning Post.

Thaksin, currently serving a one-year sentence for separate corruption charges, has been a deeply polarizing figure in Thai politics. His ousting in a military coup in 2006 was partly fueled by public outrage over the aforementioned share sale, and the Supreme Court's recent decision further complicates his legal and political challenges, as noted by Channel News Asia and The Jakarta Post.

The Shinawatra family's influence has long been a contentious issue in Thailand, countering the pro-military, pro-royalty establishment. Recent legal challenges include the removal of Thaksin's daughter, Paetongtarn, from her prime ministerial candidacy due to an ethics breach, demonstrating the ongoing political volatility surrounding his family, according to The Jakarta Post and South China Morning Post.