rki.news | Source: Xinhua News Agency
Thailand’s Parole Committee has approved the release of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on May 11.
The decision was made during a meeting reviewing inmate eligibility under criteria set by the Ministry of Justice. Thaksin will be released under strict conditions, including wearing an electronic monitoring device for the remainder of his sentence and undergoing parole supervision for four months.
Under Corrections Department regulations, parole eligibility requires good conduct and completion of at least two-thirds of a sentence, with additional consideration for elderly inmates or those with serious health conditions.
Thaksin, 76, served as Thailand’s prime minister from 2001 to 2006 before being ousted in a military coup and leaving the country in 2008. He returned in August 2023 and was taken into custody to serve an eight-year sentence, later reduced to one year following a royal pardon.
He was initially placed in hospital detention due to health concerns. In September last year, the Supreme Court of Thailand ruled that his hospital stay was unlawful and ordered his return to prison.
The latest parole decision marks a significant development in his ongoing legal and political trajectory