Thai ex-PM Thaksin receives royal pardon, parole ends tomorrow

Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has received a royal pardon and will end his parole tomorrow, according to his lawyer, Winyat Chartmontri.

“(This) comes as part of a general royal pardon for 7,500 prisoners with good conduct on the occasion of His Majesty the King’s birthday last month,” local Thai media quoted Winyat as saying.

The media reported that Thaksin’s pardon was among those announced in the royal gazette today, which stated that a royal decree was issued to grant a royal pardon to around 50,000 inmates in conjunction with King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s sixth cycle birthday anniversary on July 28.

It was reported that the decree also provided sentence reductions to over 200,000 prisoners who are currently serving time.

Thaksin, 74, will be among those released immediately under the terms of this decree, allowing him to leave prison before his sentence was supposed to end on Aug 31.

Thaksin returned to Thailand on Aug 22 last year after a 15-year self-imposed exile after he was sentenced to jail for crimes committed while in office.

On the day of his arrival in Thailand, the Supreme Court sentenced the former prime minister to eight years in prison.

On Sept 1, his jail term was reduced to one year through royal clemency.

This latest development came a day after Thaksin’s daughter and leader of the Pheu Thai Party, Paetongtarn, 37, was elected as Thailand’s new prime minister.

She replaced Sreetha Thavisin who was removed from office by the Thai Constitutional Court on Wednesday due to a violation of appointing a minister with a criminal conviction to his cabinet in April.

- Bernama

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