Thaksin, 74, will be among 930 convicts to be released on parole this month, in a Department of Corrections directive approved by Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong.
The ex-PM is entitled to parole after having served 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.
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, he received a royal pardon soon after his return to Thailand last year, which reduced the sentence to one year in jail.
The 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…
