Thailand’s former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, has been released from prison on parole. He walked out of the country’s capital, Bangkok’s, Klong Prem Central Prison today, Monday, at 7:44 AM local time.

Family members and supporters gathered at the prison gates to welcome Thaksin. Upon emerging, he embraced his family members. His daughter—and Thailand’s former Prime Minister—Yingluck Shinawatra was present at the scene. Thaksin greeted members of his own party, the Pheu Thai Party, as well as his “Red Shirt” supporters.

As he exited the prison, Thaksin was dressed in a white shirt and blue trousers. His closely cropped hair appeared to have turned gray.

The national anthem was played shortly after Thaksin stepped out of the prison gates. He paid his respects to the Thai national flag.

Following these formalities, at 7:56 AM, Thaksin departed the prison grounds in a motorcade. As he left, the rear window of his luxury vehicle was fully rolled down. The car moved slowly through the crowd of supporters, and he waved to greet them.

Thaksin’s parole period is set to continue until September 9. During this time, he is required to wear an electronic monitoring (EM) bracelet.

According to the regulations of Thailand’s Department of Corrections, Thaksin is one of 859 prisoners granted general parole.

Within three days of his release on parole, Thaksin must report to Bangkok Probation Office 1. Thaksin’s residence is located in the Ban Chan Song La area of ​​Bangkok’s Bang Phlat district, which falls under the jurisdiction of this office. During his parole, he will be required to report to this office once every month.

The 76-year-old Thaksin had been incarcerated since September 9 of last year. At that time, Thailand’s Supreme Court had ordered him to serve a one-year prison sentence.

He was convicted on charges of abuse of power and involvement in conflicts of interest during his tenure as Prime Minister. He served as the Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006.

The court ruled that Thaksin’s prolonged stay in the VIP ward of the Police General Hospital during 2023–24 was not recognized as time served. However, as of May 11 (today), he has completed two-thirds of his sentence—the minimum requirement for eligibility for parole.

On September 9 of last year, the Supreme Court ordered Thaksin to serve a one-year prison sentence. Prior to this, the court had handed down his sentence on August 22, 2023.

At that time, shortly after arriving at the Bangkok Remand Prison, Thaksin complained of chest pain. He was promptly transferred to the Police General Hospital, where he remained for an extended period. The court has declared his transfer to the hospital at that time to be “illegal.”

On August 22, 2023, after being taken to the Bangkok Remand Prison, Thaksin was transferred to the Police General Hospital after reporting chest pain. The court deemed this transfer “illegal.”

Thaksin had returned to Thailand on that very day, following 15 years of self-imposed exile.