- Thailand released Thaksin Shinawatra, who was convicted of corruption and abuse of power, on parole.
- Thailand’s king commuted Thaksin’s original eight-year prison term to one year after his return.
- Critics argue that the rich and powerful are often given privileged treatment.
Thailand’s authorities released convicted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on parole, and he arrived at his mansion in the capital Bangkok.
The billionaire had been serving a one-year jail sentence for corruption and abuse of power at a police hospital. Authorities detained Thaksin, aged 74, upon his return to Thailand last August after 15 years of self-imposed exile. He did not spend a single night in jail after complaining of health problems.
Thailand’s king commuted Thaksin’s original eight-year prison term to one year just days after he returned from exile. Many Thais criticize the handling of the case, alleging that authorities often afford privileged treatment to the rich and powerful.
“Thailand needs a democratic system where the rule of law and justice system is applied in the same way for everyone, without double standards… for privileged people,” The Move Forward Party of Thailand, which won a majority of seats at the last election but was blocked from forming a government by the Senate, issued a statement.
On Sunday, observers saw Thaksin being driven away from the police hospital in the capital, where he had spent the last six months.
“Congratulations to PM Thaksin on returning home to Chansongla this morning,” government adviser and former energy minister Pichai Naripthapan posted on social media following his release.
“I hope he will have good health and much happiness and warmth from his beloved family,” he said.
Thai authorities:
Thai authorities stated that Thaksin was eligible for parole due to his age and health issues. They did not specify whether he was released under certain conditions such as monitoring or travel curbs.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin told local reporters that he had no immediate plans to meet Thaksin, but emphasized that “everyone in the government is prepared to listen” if Thaksin wished to offer political advice.
Conservative royalists, who have backed military coups and contentious court cases to weaken him, have long feared Thaksin, Thailand’s most successful elected leader.
He was deposed by a coup two years earlier in 2008 and left the country. During his exile years, he mostly resided in London or Dubai. Currently, his family’s Pheu Thai party holds power in Thailand.
Many of Bangkok’s rich elite loathe the former telecoms magnate, but millions of poor rural Thais adore him for his populist policies, making Thaksin one of the most divisive public figures in the country. In 2001-06, he became the first prime minister in Thailand’s history to lead an elected government through a full term in office.
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