Thai Corrections Dept confirms ex-PM Thaksin eligible for release on parole on May 11

BANGKOK - The Thai Corrections Department has clarified that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has met all conditions to be eligible for release on parole on May 11.

In a statement issued on Feb 25, the department said Thaksin will have served two-thirds of his one-year prison term on May 10, making him eligible for parole on May 11.

The department said the Supreme Court ordered Thaksin to

serve a one-year prison sentence from Sept 9, 2025

, and his term will be completed on Sept 9, 2026.

It said Thaksin meets the eligibility conditions under Section 52(7) of the Corrections Act B.E. 2560 (2017) and a Justice Ministry ministerial directive on sentence reductions and parole, announced in 2019 and amended in 2021.

The department added that Thaksin’s parole has been considered and approved by the committee responsible for parole approvals in accordance with the law.

It said his time served was calculated under Section 21 of the Criminal Code, with the first day counted as day one regardless of the number of hours served on that day. Each month is counted as 30 days. Since the sentence runs from September 9, 2025, to September 9, 2026, it is counted as 12 months and five days.

Two-thirds of the term is eight months and four days, or 244 days, which falls on May 10, 2026. As a result, he will be released on parole from Klong Prem Central Prison on May 11, the department concluded.

Mr Yutthana Nakruangsri, Deputy Director-General and spokesman of the Corrections Department, earlier said Thaksin would not be required to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet due to the short length of his sentence.

However, he will need to report to the Parole Department according to a set schedule. Once Thaksin completes his full sentence, he will receive a clearance certificate from the prison. THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK