According to Reuters report on June 3rd, local time, Thai Justice Minister Rutthaphon Naowarat revealed to reporters that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will be granted parole under a royal amnesty decree. Thaksin was granted parole last month after serving eight months in prison. His original sentence of one year was now just three months away from its expiration, which is scheduled to occur in September this year.
According to a report published on the Thai Royal Gazette website on the evening of June 2, local time, King Maha Vajiralongkorn granted amnesty to certain prisoners in celebration of Queen Suthidas birthday on June 3.
When asked whether Thaksin was among those who were granted amnesty, Naewarat confirmed that this was true. However, he also pointed out that before Thaksin was officially released and allowed to remove his electronic shackles, some administrative procedures still needed to be completed.
May 11, 2026, Bangkok, Thailand. The former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was released on parole and emerged from the Khun Borom Makut Central Prison in northern Bangkok. IC Photo
However, Thaksins lawyer, Winyat Chartmontri, stated that he is currently unable to confirm this decision immediately. In an interview with Reuters, the lawyer said, Based on his personal qualifications, Thaksin seems to meet all the criteria for receiving a royal pardon and being released.
The 76-year-old Thaksin has been the Prime Minister of Thailand since 2001. He was removed from office due to a military coup in 2006, and has since lived abroad for a long time.
In 2011, Thaksins sister Yingluck won the general election and became Thailands first female prime minister. In 2014, Yingluck was removed from her position as prime minister due to misdeeds. In 2017, Yingluck also went into exile abroad.
In 2022, Thaksins younger daughter, Pattan, was mounted onto a horse and officially entered the political arena. In August 2024, at the age of 37, Pattan became the Prime Minister of Thailand, becoming the youngest Prime Minister in Thai history. In August 2025, the Constitutional Court of Thailand ruled that Pattan had violated constitutional provisions, thereby dismissing her from her position as Prime Minister.
Previously, after being in exile abroad for 15 years, Thaksin returned to Thailand in August 2023. His decision to return was aimed at serving the eight-year sentence he had been sentenced to due to charges of conflict of interest and abuse of power. These crimes occurred during his tenure as Prime Minister from 2001 to 2006.
However, just a few hours after Thaksin arrived at the prison to serve his sentence, he was transferred to a hospital for treatment, citing claims of heart and chest illnesses.
Subsequently, the Thai king reduced Thaksins sentence to one year. In February 2024, Thaksin was granted parole due to his age of 70 years, his serious illness, and the fact that he had already served six months of his sentence.
On September 9 last year, the Criminal Cases Tribunal of the Supreme Court in Thailand announced its judgment. It ruled that Thaksins decision to serve his sentence in hospital instead of prison was illegal and invalid. As a result, Thaksin is ordered to be imprisoned immediately and serve another year in prison.
Reuters noted that over the past 20 years, Thaksin has always been one of the most influential and also most controversial figures in Thai politics.
Thaksins influence extended across multiple governments. These governments were either led by Thaksin himself or maintained close alliances with the Thaksin family he represented.
Last year, the government led by the Thaksin Party collapsed. Additionally, Anutin, who was once an ally but now becomes his opponent, became Prime Minister. This further compounded Thaksins legal problems.
In the new cabinet list announced in March this year, apart from Anutin being re-elected as Prime Minister, most of the other cabinet positions were filled by members of his own party, the Pheu Thai Party. Five of the seven deputy prime ministers are also members of the Pheu Thai Party. However, one of the deputy prime minister positions was filled by Yodchanan Wongsawat, the nephew of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He was also one of the three candidates for Prime Minister who were proposed during the elections held in February this year by the Thai Party.
According to reports, Yudchanan was once a professor of biomedical engineering. This time, in addition to serving as Deputy Prime Minister, he also holds the position of Minister for Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation. Yudchanan is the son of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was also the brother-in-law of Thaksin.
