Court clears Thai ex-PM Yingluck of negligence: lawyer

Yingluck, a prominent member of the influential Shinawatra family, has been living overseas for the past six years to avoid jail for a previous conviction for negligence handed down after her government was ousted in a 2014 military coup.

The court's unanimous decision is the latest favourable outcome for the dominant Shinawatra family, whose party Pheu Thai is currently in government.

Its billionaire figurehead, Thaksin Shinawatra, was recently released from detention on parole on a commuted sentence.

The court has not yet issued a statement on the ruling.

Yingluck's brother, former premier Thaksin, was recently freed six months into an eight-year jail sentence that had been commuted to a year and served in hospital detention.

Monday's case stemmed from a 2022 complaint from the National Anti-Corruption Commission against Yingluck and four others that accused them of damaging the country by not following bidding processes in the awarding of a government contract worth 250 million baht ($A10.3 million).

Lawyer Noppadon Laothong told Reuters the court dropped the case against Yingluck and others because they were carrying out their duties under the law and received no benefits.

Yingluck had been convicted in absentia previously for negligence and sentenced to five years in prison over a government rice-pledging scheme that cost billions of dollars in losses to the state.

Brother Thaksin made a dramatic return to Thailand in August after spending 15 years abroad to escape jail for abuse of power and corruption.

His return and favourable detention have sparked widespread speculation the powerful tycoon has made a secret political deal with his longtime enemies in Thailand's military and conservative establishment.

The Shinawatra family's allies have denied the claims.

Australian Associated Press