Former Thai PM Thaksin Released On Parole

By Kenny Teng Khoon Hock and Wilawan Watcharasakwet

BANGKOK, May 11 (Bernama) -- Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was released on parole from prison on Monday after serving eight months of his one-year sentence at Klong Prem Central Prison here.

Thaksin, wearing a white shirt and blue trousers, was seen walking out of the prison gate in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district at around 7.45 am, raising his hands in a wai to greet family members and red-shirt supporters.

He was also seen paying respect to the Thai national flag when the national anthem was played before embracing his daughter, former prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and left in his family vehicle around 8 am.

The 76-year-old billionaire had been serving a one-year prison sentence for corruption-related offences since September last year, and is required to wear an electronic monitoring (EM) device during his probation period. He is not permitted to leave his residence without authorisation until Sept 9.

After leaving the prison, Thaksin was expected to report to Bangkok Probation Office 1 in Bangkok Noi district to complete procedures related to the EM device and parole reporting requirements.

Earlier, Paetongtarn also shared photo of her father’s release from prison on social media (Instagram) account, with a message “welcome back daddy”.

In April, Thailand’s Department of Corrections announced Thaksin’s parole, citing his age and health condition, as well as the fact that he had served eight months of his sentence, as grounds for his early release.

Thaksin was jailed after the Supreme Court ruled last year that he improperly served a 2023 sentence in a hospital suite rather than a prison cell.

He was elected prime minister in 2001 and again in 2005, and went into exile after his second term was cut short by a military coup.

After returning to Thailand in August 2023, he was sentenced to eight years in prison for corruption and abuse of power, but later received a royal pardon that reduced his sentence to one year.

Instead of serving time in prison, he was transferred to a private room in hospital on health grounds. His sentence was reduced to one year by royal pardon, and he was released as part of an early release scheme for elderly prisoners.

-- BERNAMA