Thaksin Shinawatra Freed After Royal Pardon Ends Probation

Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been fully released from his legal obligations after a royal pardon ended his four-month probation early. The decree, published in the Royal Gazette late Tuesday, became effective on Wednesday.

The 76-year-old billionaire populist, a dominant force in Thai politics for more than two decades, was released from a Bangkok prison in May to cheering crowds after serving eight months of a one-year sentence for corruption-related charges. He had been on parole, required to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet and originally scheduled to remain on probation until September. The royal pardon, granted by King Maha Vajiralongkorn on the occasion of Queen Suthida's birthday, applied broadly to eligible convicts who met specific conditions. Officials stated Thaksin qualified for full release because he had been released on probation and had less than a year remaining on his sentence.

Thaksin's lawyer, Winyat Chatmontree, confirmed that his client has been fully released from his legal obligations, but noted there are some administrative procedures to remove the electronic bracelet, which could take several days.