BANGKOK — Thaksin Shinawatra formally completed all legal obligations related to his prison sentence on June 3, 2026, after a royal pardon ended his four-month probation early. The pardon, issued by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, was published in the Royal Gazette on June 2, 2026, and took effect the following day.
Shinawatra had been released from a Bangkok prison on May 11, 2026, after serving eight months of a one-year sentence for corruption-related charges. His parole conditions required him to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet and remain under supervision for four months, but the royal pardon terminated that probation period ahead of schedule.
The royal pardon was granted on the occasion of Queen Suthida’s birthday and applied broadly to eligible convicts who met specific conditions. Shinawatra’s lawyer, Winyat Chatmontree, confirmed that his client has been fully released from all legal obligations, though procedures to remove the electronic monitoring bracelet could take several days.
Shinawatra was convicted on charges involving using his position to benefit his own business interests and illegally approving a state lottery project that caused losses to the government. He was originally sentenced in 2023 to eight years in prison, but the king commuted the sentence to one year. He initially served his sentence from a suite in Bangkok’s Police Hospital on medical grounds. After public protests over perceived special treatment, the Supreme Court ordered in September 2025 that he be transferred to prison.
Shinawatra founded his own political party in 1998 and served as prime minister of Thailand from 2001 until a military coup ousted him in 2006 while he was abroad. His legal journey since then has included years in exile, multiple convictions in absentia, and a return to Thailand in 2023 to begin serving his sentence.
Shinawatra is 76 years old.