Former Prime Minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, has been granted parole, as announced by the current Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. Previously, Thaksin had been serving a year-long prison sentence on corruption charges.
In accordance with Thai Correction Department regulations, prisoners can be considered for parole after serving a certain portion of their sentence, together with an official review. Thaksin, now 74 years old, is among the 930 inmates granted parole due to significant health concerns or being over the age of 70.
Thaksin received a considerable amount of praise from the current Prime Minister during the parole announcement. Prime Minister Thavisin highlighted Thaksin’s contributions to the country during his time in power and asserted that upon release, Thaksin would live as an ordinary citizen. His past as the PM will remain in the past, according to Thavisin, comforting Thais that everything has happened in accordance with the law. Worth noting is the fact that Thaskin’s younger daughter is now a political leader, providing him an opportunity to guide her in serving the country. Read PM Thavisin’s full statement here.
Thaksin, a self-exiled former prime minister who returned to Thailand in August 2023 after fifteen years, was initially sentenced to an eight-year jail term. However, his term was later cut to a year by the King of Thailand. Notably, Thaksin spent most of his sentence duration in a hospital instead of jail due to health issues. His parole came mere days after the Attorney General’s office of Thailand announced its contemplation of prosecuting Thaksin over an alleged insult to the monarchy in a 2015 interview. Details found here.
Subject to the Thai Correction Department’s rules, Thaksin could be released as early as February 18. More on this story.