Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra granted royal pardon

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been released from the remainder of his prison sentence after being granted a royal pardon, according to Justice Minister Lt. Gen. Ruttapol Naowarat, local media reported Wednesday.

Thaksin had been due to complete his sentence on Sept. 9 this year and was serving the final portion of his term under parole supervision.

Under the 2026 Royal Decree on Royal Pardons, parolees with less than one year remaining on their sentence are eligible for release unless they fall within specific disqualifying categories.

Ruttapol said Thaksin's electronic monitoring bracelet could be removed immediately following the pardon, although provincial committees must still complete administrative procedures required to implement the decree, the Thai Enquirer reported.

The decision brings an early end to the legal restrictions imposed on Thaksin after his return to Thailand in August 2023 following years in self-imposed exile.

One of the country's most influential and polarizing political figures, he began serving a prison sentence upon his return, though the term was later reduced through royal clemency.

Thaksin was subsequently released on parole after serving eight months of a one-year sentence and was required to wear an EM bracelet and comply with reporting conditions.

The latest royal pardon formally ends all remaining parole obligations several months before his sentence was scheduled to conclude on Sept. 9, 2026.