Thaksin was sentenced in absentia to eight years in prison for corruption stemming from his 2001-2006 tenure as prime minister, which was cut short by a military coup. However, Thaksin received a royal pardon soon after his return to Thailand last year, which reduced the sentence to one year in jail.
He is expected to be released on parole on Sunday after serving at least one-third of his prison term, or six months, whichever is longer, according to the Corrections Department regulations on granting parole for inmates who are 70 and over or seriously ill.
The 74-year-old former premier flew back to Thailand on a private jet on August 22 ending 15 years of self-imposed exile overseas. Less than 24 hours after landing on Thai soil, he was sent from Bangkok Remand Prison to the Police General Hospital for treatment of unidentified health issues. He…
