Thailand's billionaire Shinawatra family is bracing for a series of high-stakes court decisions starting Friday that could test its political resilience, with the prospect of an early election and prolonged trouble for the country's stuttering economy.

Retired politician and billionaire businessman was accused of violating Thailand’s strict laws on insults to royalty.

A Thai court has dismissed a royal insult case against former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, marking a significant legal victory for the influential political figure. The case was based on the lese-majeste law,