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Rangsan was found guilty of collaborating with three others in 1993 to hire gunmen and kill Supreme Court president Praman Chansue that same year. The trial dragged on for 15 years, and Praman, the target of the assassination attempt, died of natural causes in February.

Rangsan, who was released on bail, is planning to appeal against the ruling. This is the second time that he has been released on bail. The first was about a month after his arrest 15 years ago.

The three other defendants in the case are Somporn Dechanuparp, Nane Mahawilai and Apichit Angsutharangkul. Public prosecutors filed charges against them on July 16, 1993.

Rangsan was alleged to have hired Apichit to solicit a gunman to kill Praman, then Supreme Court president. Apichit then contacted Somporn and Nane to hire two gunmen, who later alerted police and had the four arrested.

During investigations, Somporn and Nane confessed to having hired the gunmen, but then reversed their testimony in court.

The South Bangkok District Court initially sentenced the four to death, but then commuted the penalty for Somporn and Nane to 16 years and eight months in jail each on grounds that the two had confessed during investigations.

The court also commuted the penalty for Apichit and Rangsan to 25 years in jail on grounds that the assassination had not yet taken place.