The Thai king has revoked the royal decorations of billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, citing his conviction and "extremely inappropriate" flight from the country, according to an announcement published Saturday.
The statement in the Royal Gazette from King Maha Vajiralongkorn comes almost a week after the country held its first election since a military coup in 2014 installed a royalist junta.
Pheu Thai, a political party linked to Thaksin, is now jostling with the junta-backed Phalang Pracharat for the right to form a government.
The billionaire told AFP in an interview last week that the election was "rigged".
The royal statement said the king "recalls the royal decorations" from the former premier "because Mr Thaksin was convicted by the Supreme Court".
"Moreover, he has fled the kingdom which is extremely inappropriate behaviour."