On May 11, 2026 at 07:41 a.m., Thaksin Shinawatra, former Prime Minister, walked out of Klong Prem Central Prison before embracing Paetongtarn Shinawatra, former Prime Minister and his youngest daughter. She was waiting with the family, which included Panthongtae Shinawatra, Pintongta Shinawatra Kunakornwong, Yaowares Shinawatra, and Somchai Wongsawat, among others.
In addition, leaders of the Pheu Thai Party and close associates came to welcome him along with supporters clad in red shirts, a symbolic colour of the Pheu Thai Party.
The Department of Corrections, Ministry of Justice, announced the results of the 4/2026 meeting of the Subcommittee for Considering Parole, approving parole for Thaksin under normal circumstances, with the condition of wearing an electronic monitoring device (EM) until the end of his sentence.
The Department of Corrections stated that Thaksin fully meets the qualifications required by the Corrections Act B.E. 2560 (2017), Section 52 (7), and related ministerial regulations. The subcommittee considered the circumstances of the case, the period of probation, the credibility of the guarantor, the impact on public safety, as well as the results of behavioral rehabilitation within the prison. Additionally, he is over 70 years of age, has less than one year of sentence remaining, and poses a relatively low risk of reoffending.
Previously, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions issued an order in the case relating to the enforcement of imprisonment regarding his medical treatment on the 14th floor at Police General Hospital on September 9, 2025, ordering Thaksin to serve a one-year prison sentence.
Going back to August 22, 2023, Thaksin returned to Thailand and entered the prison process according to the former conviction, totaling eight years. Later, news emerged regarding his parole in April 2026, which led to today’s release under probation.
