Former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra released after eight-month corruption sentence.

Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been released from Klong Prem Central Prison in Bangkok after serving approximately eight months of an original one-year sentence for corruption-related offenses. The event took place on Monday, where he was welcomed by a large crowd comprising his family, political allies, and supporters who chanted "We love Thaksin" as he departed the facility.

The 76-year-old billionaire exited the prison gates around 7:40 am local time, dressed in a simple white shirt with closely cropped hair. He was immediately swarmed by relatives, including his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was previously ousted from her position as prime minister in August of last year. While Thaksin moved through the crowd with a bright smile to greet fans, he declined to speak to the media and left without addressing reporters.

Thaksin dominated Thai politics for twenty-five years until a military coup in 2006 removed him from power while he was living abroad. Following fifteen years in self-imposed exile, he returned to Thailand in 2023 to face an eight-year sentence for conflicts of interest and abuse of power. Although the King commuted this term to one year, the Supreme Court ruled in September last year that he must serve time in prison, determining that he and his medical team had intentionally extended his hospital stay through unnecessary minor surgeries.

Despite his initial confinement lasting only a few hours, Thaksin began complaining of heart trouble and chest pains shortly after his return. He subsequently spent six months in the VIP wing of a hospital before being granted parole. A panel from the Ministry of Justice approved his release last month during a review of over 900 eligible inmates, citing his good conduct, advanced age, and the low likelihood of reoffending. However, the corrections department stipulated that he must wear an electronic ankle monitor for the remainder of his sentence.

In a video broadcast by Thairath news, Thaksin was seen rolling down his car window to wave to supporters at his home in western Bangkok. When asked by reporters, he joked that he had been in "hibernation" and could not remember much. His political party, Pheu Thai, which finished third in the February elections, has since joined the governing coalition led by conservative Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Thaksin's nephew, Yodchanan Wongsawat, was appointed as the minister of higher education in Anutin's cabinet.

The release marks a significant shift for Thaksin, whose influence has diminished following his imprisonment and his party's historic election loss earlier this year. Meanwhile, his daughter, Paetongtarn, served as the country's youngest prime minister in 2024 until the Constitutional Court removed her from office after a recording revealed a compromising phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. This series of events underscores the volatile nature of Thai politics and the ongoing legal challenges faced by its most prominent figures.