Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose political journey deeply divided Thai society for decades, was released from a Bangkok prison on Monday after serving eight months of a one-year sentence for a corruption-related charge. A crowd of about 300 supporters and political allies gathered outside Klong Prem Central Prison to greet the 76-year-old billionaire populist.
Background and Political Career
Thaksin, a telecommunications magnate, founded his own political party in 1998 and served as prime minister from 2001 until a military coup ousted him in 2006 while he was abroad. His ouster triggered nearly two decades of deep and sometimes violent political polarization. His political machine staged several comebacks even as Thaksin stayed in self-imposed exile to escape what he claimed was political persecution through the courts.
He was the first elected prime minister in Thai history to serve a full four-year term. Policies like a national healthcare scheme and infrastructure projects in less developed regions earned devoted support from poorer segments of society, particularly in the rural north and northeast. However, his popularity and sometimes high-handed style created deep fractures between his base and the country's urban elites, royalists, and military.
Charges and Sentencing
Thaksin was charged with abuse of power over allegations including using his position to benefit his own business interests and illegally approving a state lottery project that caused losses to the government. He was convicted in absentia but returned to Thailand to be sentenced in 2023 as the Pheu Thai Party, his most recent political vehicle, formed a government. He was widely believed to have reached a secret accommodation with the traditional royalist establishment.
Originally sentenced to eight years in prison, his term was commuted to one year by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, which he was allowed to serve from a suite in Bangkok's Police Hospital on medical grounds. After protests over unwarranted special treatment, the Supreme Court in September 2025 ordered Thaksin to serve his sentence in prison. A Justice Ministry panel agreed last month to grant him parole as part of a review of over 900 eligible prisoners' cases, citing his good behavior, age, and low risk of reoffending.
Release and Conditions
Thaksin emerged from the prison gate in a white polo shirt and blue pants, embraced by his family. He smiled brightly as he walked around to greet supporters who chanted “we love Thaksin” and gave red roses to him. He then left without speaking to reporters. Arriving at his residence in western Bangkok about an hour later, he rolled down the car window to greet a small group of supporters, responding to reporters' shouted questions that “I was in hibernation, I can't remember anything now.”
After his release, Thaksin will be on probation for four months, during which he must reside at his declared home in Bangkok, wear an electronic monitoring bracelet, and report regularly to probation officials.
Family and Political Context
His three children, including former prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, and other family members arrived early to welcome him. Paetongtarn became the country's youngest prime minister in 2024 but was removed from office by the Constitutional Court in August 2025 after a recording of a compromising phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen was released. The Pheu Thai party managed only a third-place finish in this year's general election.
