Former exiled Thailand PM granted parole – JURIST

Prime Minister of Thailand Srettha Thavisin announced that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was granted parole Tuesday. He was previously serving his one-year prison sentence for corruption charges.

Under the Correction Department regulations, inmates can be considered for parole after a certain time period and an official review. As Thaksin is 74 years old, he is amongst 930 inmates who have been granted parole due to serious health issues or are above the age of 70. Srettha praised Thaksin when announcing the news, stating:

 Thaksin was a Prime Minister … who brought benefit to the country for a long time … Once released, he will just be a normal citizen. What’s in the past is in the past. Everything went according to the law. Thaksin also has a youngest daughter who is now the leader. I believe that Thaksin can give good advice to his daughter to serve the country.

Thaksin, who returned from self-exile of fifteen years, returned to Thailand in August 2023 and was originally imprisoned for eight years. This sentence was then reduced to one year by the King of Thailand. However, Thaksin has reportedly spent his sentence in hospital rather than in prison due to health problems. His parole comes a week after Thailand’s attorney general’s office announced that it is still considering prosecuting him over an alleged insult to the monarchy in an interview in 2015.

According to Correction Department rules, Thaksin could be released as early as February 18.