Jailed Thaksin has high blood pressure, sleep problems and hair loss: Paetongtarn
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Ms Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Sept 15 leaving the prison where her father Thaksin Shinawatra is being jailed.
PHOTO: AFP
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Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is suffering from high blood pressure, sleep issues and hair loss, said his daughter, Ms Paetongtarn Shinawatra, after his family made a visit to Klong Prem Central Prison on Sept 18, where the 76-year-old is housed.
Ms Paetongtarn, herself also a former prime minister
It was the second time the family had visited him. Ms Paetongtarn was accompanied by her husband, Mr Pitaka Suksawat, and Ms Pintongta by Mr Nuttaphong Kunakornwong.
Speaking to reporters after leaving the prison, Ms Paetongtarn said they met and talked to Thaksin for only 15 minutes.
“Today, we left early because dad was not doing well, so we could give him only a short visit,” she said.
“He has high blood pressure and said he felt fatigued. Although he has had his hair cut short, it is still falling, possibly due to tension. Anyway, dad still smiled. He said he could not sleep well but is still in good spirits.”
Ms Paetongtarn said she was unsure whether he could eat well while in prison.
“He told me only that he could not sleep well last night. I’m not sure whether he suffered from back pain or not because he just mentioned the sleep issue.”
As the family reached the front of the prison, a group of supporters in red shirts handed five amulets and a portrait of a respected monk to Ms Paetongtarn.
They asked her to keep the gifts, saying the amulets would bless the Shinawatra family. Ms Paetongtarn, who was dressed in a black suit, did not take the amulets into the prison, as she had not sought permission to do so.
Meanwhile, Ms Pintongta wore a black shirt and blue trousers and was carrying a white envelope with “Grandpa Thaksin” written in pink and a small drawing in the corner. She said her eldest daughter wrote a letter on behalf of all seven of Thaksin’s grandchildren because he missed them.
Ms Kanokwan Jiewchuaphan, deputy spokeswoman for the Corrections Department, said Thaksin would see a psychologist during his routine medical check-ups for new inmates.
She added that he mostly gets up at 6am and goes to bed at 9.30pm.
For breakfast, he eats boiled eggs; and during the day, he mostly reads, watches TV and walks while swinging his arms for exercise.
During the visit, his family deposited 15,000 baht (S$603) for Thaksin as a prison allowance, with a daily spending limit of 500 baht. He largely spends the money on food and snacks. THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
