17-1-2024 (BANGKOK) Thailand’s former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, may be released on parole next month, according to a statement from a corrections department official on Wednesday (Jan 17). Thaksin, a billionaire aged 74, was imprisoned for abuse of power upon his return to Thailand in August after 15 years of self-imposed exile.
Following his return, Thaksin was admitted to a hospital for high blood pressure and chest tightness. His eight-year sentence was later commuted to a year following a royal pardon, and the corrections department extended his stay in a police hospital last week, citing the need for ongoing health monitoring.
Corrections Department Deputy Director General, Sitthi Sutivong, stated that Thaksin qualifies for special parole based on age and health criteria. However, the department is yet to receive an official request from the Bangkok Remand Prison regarding his potential release in February.
Thaksin, a former telecoms tycoon and owner of Premier League football club Manchester City, faced accusations of corruption, cronyism, and abuse of power. He was sentenced to jail in absentia in 2008 after being ousted from power in a 2006 military coup. His influence in Thai politics persisted during 17 years of on-off turmoil, even while in exile.
In 2014, Thaksin’s sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, was ousted as prime minister in another military coup. Despite his return to Thailand receiving a rock star reception, with crowds cheering his arrival and policemen saluting him, Thaksin maintains that he is retired from politics.
