BANGKOK – Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra walked free from a Bangkok prison Monday morning, completing roughly eight months of incarceration after a court determined he had improperly extended his hospital stay to dodge jail time.
The 76-year-old billionaire politician, who shaped and controlled Thai politics for 25 years, emerged from Klong Prem Central Prison at approximately 7:40 a.m. local time wearing a simple white shirt with closely trimmed hair. His political influence has diminished recently due to his imprisonment and his Pheu Thai Party’s historically poor showing in this year’s elections.
Family members immediately embraced Thaksin upon his release, including his daughter and political successor Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was removed from the prime minister position by court order last August, just weeks before his father’s imprisonment.
Crowds of supporters who had gathered outside the Bangkok prison since early morning hours shouted “we love Thaksin” as he acknowledged them following his release. He completed approximately two-thirds of his sentence before receiving parole.
Following 15 years of voluntary exile, Thaksin came back to Thailand in 2023 to face an eight-year prison term for conflicts of interest and power abuse during his 2001-2006 tenure as prime minister. The king had reduced his sentence to one year.
However, his actual prison time lasted only hours after his return, as he reported cardiac issues and chest discomfort. He subsequently spent six months in a hospital’s VIP section before gaining parole status.
The Supreme Court ruled in September that Thaksin must complete his sentence behind bars, determining that he and his medical team had deliberately extended his hospital treatment through unnecessary minor procedures.
Prison officials confirmed he must wear an electronic monitoring device on his ankle for his remaining sentence period.
A 76-year-old supporter from northern Chiang Rai province, Rommanee Nakano, expressed that Thaksin never deserved punishment.
“He is a very good person,” she stated before his release. “Whatever he did, he did it for the people. He just wanted the people to be well-fed and have enough to live on.”
