Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra released on parole

Thailand's convicted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was released Monday from a Bangkok prison after being allowed to complete the remaining four months of his one-year sentence on parole, state media reported.

Footage aired on state broadcaster Thai PBS World showed Thaksin walking out of Klong Prem Central Prison to cheers from supporters and an emotional reunion with members of the Shinawatra family, including his daughter, former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

A large crowd of supporters, many dressed in red, the signature color associated with the ruling Pheu Thai party, gathered outside the prison to welcome Thaksin amid tight security.

They chanted slogans and waved party flags as he emerged from the prison wearing a white shirt and dark blue trousers, smiling as he embraced family members and greeted supporters.

Earlier, Thaksin was fitted with an electronic monitoring (EM) bracelet as a condition of his parole.

Within three days of his release, he is required to report to the probation office which oversees the area of his registered residence to acknowledge formally the conditions of his parole.

Thaksin, 76, served twice as prime minister of the Southeast Asian country, winning elections in 2001 and 2005. A military coup in 2006 cut short his second term, and he went into self-imposed exile in 2008.

Upon returning to Thailand in August 2023, he was arrested to serve eight years of imprisonment on three charges stemming from his time in office.

His sentence was subsequently commuted to one year following a royal pardon request.