Supporters gathered outside the prison to cheer and chanted ”We love Thaksin.”
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Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was released on parole from a Bangkok prison on Monday after serving a one-year sentence on corruption charges. Thaksin has already served eight months of his one-year sentence on corruption charges.
Former Prime Minister Thaksin, who has been at the center of controversy and political polarization for decades, was released from prison early Monday morning local time.
About 300 supporters and political allies gathered outside Bangkok's central prison 'Klong Prem' to welcome him. Thaksin walked out of prison wearing a white polo brand T-shirt and blue pants, and was greeted by family members with hugs.
Similarly, supporters gathered outside the prison to express their happiness with his release, chanting 'We love Thaksin'. They also presented him with red roses. He was seen in public for the first time since his release, but did not respond to the media.
Billionaire telecommunications tycoon Thaksin formed his own political party in 1998. He became Thailand's prime minister in 2001. In 2006, the military ousted his government in a coup. He was on a trip abroad at the time.
At the time, Thai politics had been mired in deep political conflict and polarization for nearly two decades. Thaksin was accused of abuse of power, favoring his business interests, and irregularities in a government lottery project. He was convicted in absentia.
He returned home in 2023 and appeared in court. He was initially sentenced to eight years in prison. But Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn later reduced the sentence to one year.
Thaksin was imprisoned in a special cell at a police hospital in Bangkok, citing health reasons. Opponents of the decision accused him of giving him special privileges. The Supreme Court then ordered him to serve his sentence in prison in September 2025.
Recently, a Justice Ministry committee approved his parole, citing his good behavior, advanced age, and low likelihood of reoffending. He will be kept under surveillance for four months after his release. He will have to live at his home in Bangkok, wear an electronic monitoring bracelet, and report regularly to authorities.
In 2024, Thaksin's daughter, Patongtarn Shinawatra, became Thailand's youngest prime minister. But she was removed from office by the Constitutional Court in 2025 after controversial phone calls with foreign officials were made public. Thaksin's pro-Thakas party came in third place in this year's general election.
