Administrative Court Rejects Retrial Request in Yingluck Shinawatra Rice Pledging Case

On September 23, 2026, the Central Administrative Court in Bangkok delivered a ruling from the Supreme Administrative Court, officially rejecting a petition filed by former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her husband, Anusorn Amornchat. The couple had sought a retrial concerning a previous administrative order that held them liable for over 10 billion baht (specifically 10,028,861,880.83 THB) in damages related to the rice-pledging scheme.

The court determined that the evidence presented to support the request for a new trial was insufficient. This legal battle stems from allegations that, during her tenure as Prime Minister and Chair of the National Rice Policy Committee, Yingluck failed to prevent corruption and financial losses within the government's rice-pledging program. The Central Administrative Court had previously issued a similar rejection on January 13, 2026, citing that documents from the Ministry of Commerce did not justify reopening the case.

For residents and observers, this development marks a significant continuation of a long-standing legal saga involving high-profile political figures in Thailand. While the court has maintained its stance, legal representatives for the former Prime Minister have indicated they are currently discussing potential next steps to continue their legal defense. It remains to be confirmed what specific legal avenues, if any, the defense team will pursue following this latest rejection.