BANGKOK – Lieutenant General Thaweesilp Wechvitarn, the chief physician of the Police General Hospital (PGH), has been transferred to an inactive post following a six-month suspension of his medical license by the Medical Council. The disciplinary action stems from his role in facilitating former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s extended stay at the hospital under what were deemed false claims of serious illness.

Three doctors faulted over Thaksin’s Police Hospital stay

The transfer order, signed by the national police commissioner general, appointed Police Lieutenant General Phaibul Jiamanukulkit as the acting chief doctor. The order stated that moving Lieutenant General Thaweesilp from the PGH was necessary to ensure orderliness, efficiency, and transparency, and to prevent potential damage to the hospital’s reputation. The official is currently under investigation.

The Medical Council found that the neurosurgeon had issued two letters in September 2023 concerning Thaksin’s health. The first, dated September 15, asserted that Thaksin’s treatment was ongoing due to lesions from a surgical procedure, while a second letter on September 18 claimed the former premier required urgent surgery for considerable pain and weak limbs. The council ruled that this assessment contradicted the facts and noted that Thaweesilp, as a neurosurgeon, was not specialized in orthopedics, the relevant field for the claimed conditions.

Lt Gen Thaweesilp Wechvitarn, chief doctor at Police General Hospital, has been transferred to an inactive post after the Medical Council suspended his license for six months from October 1 for aiding former PM Thaksin Shinawatra in staying at the hospital under false claims of… pic.twitter.com/WuAxTcq4Lv

— Thai PBS World (@ThaiPBSWorld) October 2, 2025

The case has also ensnared other medical professionals. Thaweesilp’s predecessor at the hospital, Police Lieutenant General Sophonrat Singhacharu, received a three-month license suspension, and Dr. Ruamthip Supaphan from the Corrections Department’s hospital was issued a formal warning.

Thaksin Shinawatra’s Hospital Stay Under Review by Department of Corrections

Based on the Medical Council’s findings, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Officials later ruled that Thaksin’s one-year prison sentence for corruption had not been properly enforced by the Corrections Department and ordered him returned to prison. The series of disciplinary actions highlights the ongoing legal and institutional repercussions from the high-profile case.

-Thailand News (TN)