Bangkok: Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been granted a royal pardon that reduces his parole by two weeks, his lawyer announced on Saturday. This development comes just a day after his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was elected as the country’s premier by parliament.
Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire who has been central to a long-standing power struggle in Thailand, returned from self-imposed exile last August to avoid jail time following his ousting in a 2006 military coup. After his return, he served six months in hospital detention due to health issues before being released on parole in February.
Originally sentenced to eight years in prison for abuse of power and conflicts of interest during his tenure from 2001 to 2006, Thaksin had his sentence commuted to one year by King Maha Vajiralongkorn last September. His lawyer, Winyat Chartmontri, revealed that Thaksin is among those who received a royal pardon in honor of the king’s birthday last month. “Thaksin is among the prisoners that received the royal pardon,” Winyat told Reuters. “It will take effect on Sunday.”
Also Read | Scaled-Back Independence Day Event Held at Indonesia’s New Capital Nusantara
Parole, which was set to end at the end of the month, has been shortened to Sunday due to the royal pardon, according to Winyat.
Thaksin’s daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 37, was elected as Thailand’s second female prime minister and the third member of the Shinawatra family to hold the office, securing nearly two-thirds of the parliamentary vote. This follows the dismissal of Thaksin ally Srettha Thavisin from the prime minister position by the Constitutional Court on Wednesday for ethics violations.
Also Read | Pakistan Boosts Border Health Measures Amid Mpox Outbreak Concerns
Thaksin’s sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, also served as prime minister from 2011 to 2014.
