Overview
- The royal pardon decree published in the Royal Gazette took effect Wednesday to mark Queen Suthida’s birthday and covers parolees with less than one year remaining on their sentences.
- Justice Minister Rutthaphon Naowarat confirmed Thaksin Shinawatra meets the decree’s conditions and is to be discharged from the remainder of his one-year term.
- Thaksin was released on parole on May 11 after serving roughly eight months of custody and has been subject to monthly probation checks and an electronic monitoring bracelet.
- Officials say a three-member committee has up to 120 days to verify beneficiaries and issue a certificate of clearance, and the physical removal of his monitoring device will follow completion of that process.
- The decision revives questions about Thaksin’s political influence over Pheu Thai and his travel and legal status once formal paperwork is processed, even as his family has suggested he may step back from active politics.