The charge against the country's first female prime minister concerns her role in a scheme that paid farmers far above market prices for rice. It also cost Thailand its place as the world's leading exporter.
If found
guilty, she could face up to 10 years in prison. Her successful impeachment by
parliament has already seen her banned from politics for five years.
The former PM
was removed from office last May days before a military coup, amid allegations
of abuse of power.
She later
issued a statement on Facebook saying: "Democracy has died in Thailand
today, along with the rule of law. That move to destroy me is still ongoing and
I face it now."
The
commission in July recommended criminal charges be filed against Ms Yingluck
for the subsidy programme, which paid the farmers double the market price for
rice.
The programme
was a flagship electioneering policy, with Ms Yingluck saying the scheme would
directly benefit Thai farmers and reduce the income equality gap in the
country.
She won a
landslide electoral victory in 2011 backed by the rural poor who benefited from
the rice scheme.
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