BANGKOK: Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was released from prison on Monday after serving eight months of a one-year sentence for corruption, marking a significant moment in Thai politics and raising speculation about his possible political comeback.
The 76-year-old telecom billionaire was granted early release under a parole program for elderly prisoners and will remain under probation until September while wearing an electronic monitoring device.
Thaksin was seen embracing family members outside a Bangkok prison as hundreds of supporters gathered wearing the movement’s signature red shirts. Many chanted slogans in support of the former leader.
“I went into hibernation for eight months,” Thaksin told reporters outside his residence in Bangkok, saying he felt relieved following his release.
Supporters expressed confidence that he would continue to influence politics despite his legal restrictions.
Thaksin remains one of the most influential and controversial figures in modern Thai politics. His political network, led by the Pheu Thai Party, has long challenged Thailand’s conservative military and royalist establishment.
The Shinawatra family has produced four prime ministers, including Thaksin’s daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra. However, Pheu Thai suffered its weakest electoral performance in decades during the February election, finishing third.
Political analysts say Thaksin’s release could temporarily strengthen the party’s support base, although it may also reignite tensions with conservative groups.
Thaksin was first elected prime minister in 2001 and re-elected in 2005 before being removed in a military coup in 2006. He spent years in self-imposed exile before returning to Thailand in August 2023.
Following his return, Thai courts sentenced him to eight years in prison on corruption and abuse of power charges. His sentence was later reduced to one year through a royal pardon.
The former prime minister initially stayed in a hospital rather than prison on health grounds, a move that triggered criticism and allegations of preferential treatment. Thailand’s Supreme Court later ruled that his hospital stay could not fully count as prison time, resulting in his transfer to prison to complete the remainder of his sentence.
Despite his release, Thaksin still faces several pending legal cases that could limit his direct political involvement in the coming months.
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