Thaksin Shinawatra Freed: Ex-PM Greeted by Supporters After Prison Term

Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been released from Bangkok's Klong Prem Central Prison after serving eight months of a one-year sentence for corruption-related charges. The 76-year-old billionaire was greeted by hundreds of supporters, including family members and political allies, who chanted "We love Thaksin" as he left the facility.

Thaksin dominated Thai politics for 25 years, but his influence has recently declined following his imprisonment and his Pheu Thai Party's worst election performance on record earlier this year. He emerged from prison wearing a simple white shirt with closely cropped hair, smiling as he greeted supporters but declining to speak to reporters.

Thaksin served as prime minister from 2001 until a 2006 military coup ousted him while he was abroad. After 15 years in self-exile, he returned to Thailand in 2023 to face an eight-year sentence for conflicts of interest and abuse of power. The king commuted this to one year, but Thaksin spent only hours in prison before being transferred to a hospital VIP wing for six months due to claimed heart problems.

Last September, the Supreme Court ruled Thaksin must serve prison time, concluding he and his doctors intentionally prolonged his hospital stay with unnecessary surgeries. A Ministry of Justice panel granted him parole last month, citing good behavior, his age, and low risk of reoffending. He must wear an electronic ankle monitor for the remainder of his sentence.

Thaksin's Pheu Thai Party, which fell to third place in February's elections, joined the governing coalition of conservative Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. His nephew Yodchanan Wongsawat became higher education minister, while his daughter Paetongtarn, who became Thailand's youngest prime minister in 2024, was removed from office after a compromising phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen was released.