Freedom for Former Thai PM Thaksin Following Royal Pardon

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has now been fully released from prison, following a Royal Pardon granted by the King of Thailand. The pardon was announced on Wednesday by Thailand’s Minister of Justice, Lieutenant General Ruttapol Naowarat.

Thaksin, who was involved in a series of legal cases including corruption, was originally scheduled to complete his sentence on 9 September this year, serving the remainder of his term under supervised parole. He had previously been granted parole in May after serving eight months of a one-year prison sentence related to corruption.

According to the 2026 Royal Decree on Royal Pardons, any prisoner on parole with less than one year remaining on their sentence is eligible for release, provided they do not fall into specific disqualified categories. In his announcement, Ruttapol stated that the electronic monitoring bracelet, which Thaksin was required to wear during his parole, can now be removed following the royal pardon.

However, according to reports from the local media outlet Thai Enquirer, provincial committees must still complete the necessary administrative procedures to implement the royal decree.

This royal pardon concludes the legal restrictions imposed on Thaksin following his return to Thailand in August 2023, after years of living in self-imposed exile abroad. Thaksin, one of Thailand’s most influential and controversial political figures, began serving his prison sentence upon his arrival in Bangkok. His sentence was subsequently reduced through royal clemency, leading to his parole in May. The royal pardon officially terminates all parole obligations that were set to remain in place until September.