17-8-2024 (BANGKOK) Thailand’s former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, will see his parole come to an early conclusion after being included in a royal pardon, his lawyer Winyat Chartmontri confirmed to Reuters on Saturday.
Originally, Thaksin’s parole was scheduled to extend until the end of August. However, the earlier release is part of a broader royal amnesty granted to 7,500 prisoners who exhibited good behaviour in conjunction with the celebration of King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s birthday last month.
The 75-year-old Thaksin returned to Thailand in 2023 after spending 15 years in self-imposed exile. He had been sentenced to eight years in prison following convictions of abuse of power and conflicts of interest. This sentence was later reduced to just one year by royal decree. Thaksin’s release on parole came in February after serving six months in detention.
Notably, the business magnate and political figure was granted parole without having spent a night in prison, a detail that has sparked widespread attention. His family’s political influence remains prominent, with the Pheu Thai Party, which they founded, currently leading the government.
On Friday, Thai lawmakers elected Thaksin’s 37-year-old daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, as the nation’s new prime minister. This election marked the rise of the third member of the influential Shinawatra family to the country’s highest political office. Paetongtarn crossed the necessary threshold, securing over 51% of the vote. Her ascent to power comes just days after her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, was ousted by Thailand’s Constitutional Court for appointing a Cabinet minister with a prior criminal conviction.
Paetongtarn is expected to receive the formal royal endorsement from King Maha Vajiralongkorn in a ceremony scheduled for Sunday.
Meanwhile, Thaksin still faces unresolved legal battles. He has been charged with lèse-majesté – a serious offence under Thai law – over comments made in a 2015 interview with foreign media. The crime of insulting the monarchy carries severe penalties, including up to 15 years imprisonment for each infraction. However, he avoided pre-trial detention after being granted bail by a criminal court in June.
Thaksin has remained defiant regarding these accusations. “It’s nothing. The case is baseless,” he told reporters, signalling his readiness to contest the charges in court.
