Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been released from prison early.
On the morning of May 11th, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was officially released early. According to AFP, the 76-year-old billionaire had served a one-year prison sentence for corruption since September last year. After his release, he will have to wear an electronic monitoring device for a four-month probation period.
An AFP reporter outside the prison in Bangkok observed Thaksin embracing family members as soon as he emerged. He was surrounded by hundreds of supporters wearing traditional red shirts, many chanting "we love Thaksin."
"I don't think he'll leave politics," said Janthana Chaidej, 70, a restaurant chef who took a day off work to show her support for the former Prime Minister. "Thaksin might go into hiding for a few months, but he certainly won't give up politics."
For his part, Thaksin smiled and waved to the crowd of supporters but did not give any press interviews before leaving in his car.
His daughter, former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, previously told the media after visiting her father in prison last week that the two of them "only talked about family matters and didn't discuss politics at all."
Over the past two decades, the political force led by Thaksin has been a major counterweight in Thai politics. The Pheu Thai Party and its predecessors are among the most successful political organizations of the 21st century in Thailand, with the Shinawatra family having four members serving as Prime Minister and enjoying widespread support from rural populations.
Last month, Thailand announced a pardon for Thaksin, citing his advanced age and the fact that he had less than a year left to serve. He was one of more than 850 prisoners approved for early release in this round.
Thaksin was elected Prime Minister in 2001 and 2005, before going into exile when his second term was interrupted by a military coup. Upon returning to Thailand in August 2023, he was sentenced to eight years in prison for corruption and abuse of power.
This sentence was later commuted to one year by the Thai Royal Family. His transfer to a private hospital room instead of his prison cell due to health reasons sparked controversy. Last September, the Supreme Court ruled that the hospital stay would not count towards his sentence, forcing him to return to prison to complete his one-year term.
