BANGKOK, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The Parole Committee under the Ministry of Justice of Thailand decided on Wednesday to allow former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to be released on parole on May 11.
According to Thai media reports, the committee held a meeting to review whether nationwide inmates meet the parole criteria, including Thaksin.
The meeting decided that Thaksin would be released on parole on May 11 on the condition that an electronic monitoring device must be worn until the end of the sentence. After being released on parole, he will be under parole supervision for four months.
Under the Corrections Department's criteria, inmates who are eligible for parole must demonstrate good conduct, serve no less than two-thirds of their sentence, or be aged over 70, suffer from chronic diseases or disabilities. The specific circumstances vary from case to case.
Thaksin, now 76 years old, served as the Southeast Asian nation's prime minister from 2001 to 2006. He was ousted by a 2006 coup and fled the country in August 2008.
Thaksin returned to Thailand in August 2023. Upon arrival, he was taken into custody to serve an eight-year sentence. After serving less than a day in jail, he was transferred from a Bangkok prison to the Police General Hospital, citing critical health concerns.
Thaksin's prison sentence was later reduced to one year, following his request for a royal pardon. He was granted parole in February 2024, on the grounds that he was over 70 years old, seriously ill and had served a six-month prison sentence.
On Sept. 9 last year, Thailand's Supreme Court ruled that Thaksin was unlawfully allowed to stay in hospital detention and should return to prison to complete his one-year sentence. ■
