Thaksin Shinawatra Released on Parole After 8 Months

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was released on parole from Klong Prem Central Prison on Monday morning after serving about eight months of a one-year sentence for corruption and abuse of power.

The 76-year-old telecommunications billionaire emerged around 7:40 a.m. local time with closely cropped hair and dressed in a simple white shirt and blue pants. He hugged family members, including his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra, a former prime minister, before smiling and waving to several hundred supporters gathered outside. Many wore red shirts, the signature color of his followers, and chanted "we love Thaksin" as he greeted them. Thaksin did not speak to journalists before departing by car.

Under the terms of his release, approved last month by a Justice Ministry panel as part of a review of over 850 cases involving elderly prisoners, Thaksin must wear an electronic monitoring bracelet for a four-month probation period. He is required to reside at his declared home in Bangkok and report regularly to probation officials. Officials cited his age, good behavior and low risk of reoffending as reasons for the early release.