Thaksin Shinawatra and His Chance of Special Parole

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, leader of the Pheu Thai Party, has expressed her wishes for the release of her father, convicted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, on parole.

With the possibility of his release looming, Paetongtarn remains uncertain if her father’s name will be included in the Department of Corrections’ (DoC) list of eligible inmates for parole and special parole.

Special parole is typically granted to inmates who are either over 70 years old or who suffer from critical illnesses or disabilities, after serving one-third of their sentence. The DoC has recently compiled this list, and Thaksin appears to meet the criteria for special parole, according to an undisclosed source. However, the final decision rests with the justice minister, who will consider the list of eligible inmates.

Paetongtarn disclosed yesterday that the justice…