Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin is released on parole after serving 6 months in a hospital
Thailand’s former prime minister has been released on parole from a Bangkok hospital where he spent the last six months serving time for corruption-related offenses
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was released on parole early Sunday from a Bangkok hospital where he spent six months serving time for corruption-related offenses.
Thaksin was seen in a convoy of cars leaving the Police General Hospital just before sunrise and is believed to be headed to his residence in western Bangkok. A homemade banner with the words “Welcome home” and “We’ve been waiting for this day for so so long” was seen hanging at the front gate of his house.
A polarizing figure in Thai politics over the last two decades, Thaksin was in office from 2001 until he was toppled in a 2006 coup. He was later convicted of abuse of power and other misdeeds while in office and returned in August from more than a decade of self-imposed exile to serve his prison sentence.
His original eight-year sentence was commuted to only a year by King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Sept. 1. Thaksin had called his convictions politically motivated.
Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong confirmed approval of Thaksin’s parole last week, citing the possibility of early release for inmates who have serious illnesses, are disabled or are over age 70. Thaksin is 74 years old.
He was confined to a police hospital in Bangkok. Opponents charged that serving his sentence in a hospital was a special privilege.