Bangkok – Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was released on Wednesday from the remaining portion of his prison sentence involving parole conditions following a royal pardon granted under the 2026 Royal Decree on Royal Pardons, Thailand’s Justice Ministry confirmed.
Justice Minister Lt. Gen. Ruttapol Naowarat announced that Thaksin, who had been serving the tail end of his term under parole conditions, qualifies for immediate release because he had less than one year left to serve. The pardon is linked to celebrations surrounding the birthday of Her Royal Majesty Queen Suthida.
Under Section 8 of the decree, parolees with under a year remaining on their sentences are eligible for early release unless they fall into specific excluded categories. Thaksin had been due to complete his sentence on September 9th, 2026.
“The electronic monitoring bracelet can be removed right away,” Ruttapol said, adding that provincial pardon implementation committees must still finalize standard administrative paperwork. He stated that Thaksin’s name is definitively on the approved list of recipients.
As a result, the former premier is no longer required to report to probation officers or adhere to the restrictions previously imposed by his parole status.
The development marks a swift conclusion to the supervised portion of Thaksin’s sentence, which had drawn significant public attention since his return to Thailand and placement under the electronic monitoring system.
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