The Shinawatras had commanded huge support by courting rural voters, helping them to win every general election since 2001, but their foes accused them of corruption and nepotism.

They won the loyalty of the rural and urban poor with groundbreaking welfare schemes in a sharply unequal country. But their rise angered Bangkok’s army-allied elite, which repeatedly assailed their elected governments with coups or court rulings.

…Yingluck’s downfall revolved around a scheme that saw her government purchase rice from farmers at nearly twice the market price. It was wildly popular in the rural heartlands but slammed by critics as a costly and graft-riddled handout.

Former Thai PM Yingluck sentenced in absentia to 5 years’ jail for negligence – Channel NewsAsia

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