Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been released from the remainder of his prison sentence after being granted a royal pardon, Justice Minister Lt. Gen. Ruttapol Naowarat confirmed on Wednesday, Ada Derana reported, citing local outlets.
Thaksin had been due to complete his sentence on September 9, 2026 and was serving the final portion under parole supervision. Under the 2026 Royal Decree on Royal Pardons, parolees with less than one year remaining are eligible for release unless they fall within specific disqualifying categories.
Ruttapol said Thaksin’s electronic monitoring bracelet could be removed immediately following the pardon, although provincial committees must still complete administrative procedures to implement the decree, the Thai Enquirer reported. The pardon formally ends all remaining parole obligations.
The decision brings an early end to the legal restrictions imposed on Thaksin after his return to Thailand in August 2023 following years in self-imposed exile. One of the country’s most polarising political figures, he began serving a prison sentence upon his return, although the term was later reduced through royal clemency. He was subsequently released on parole after serving eight months of a one-year sentence, required to wear an EM bracelet and report regularly to authorities.
The full pardon supersedes Thaksin’s conditional hospital release in early May, when he was let out under continuing parole supervision. It comes as Thailand has tightened other entry rules — including a visa-free stay cut to 30 days from 60 — earlier this year.
Sources: Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra granted royal pardon — Ada Derana.
