Thaksin Shinawatra received a two-week reduced parole after a royal pardon, coinciding with his daughter’s election as prime minister amidst Thailand’s ongoing political struggle between dynastic and royalist factions.
Thailand’s billionaire former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has received a royal pardon, which shortened his parole by two weeks, according to his lawyer. This announcement came just a day after his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was elected as the country’s prime minister, marking a significant moment in their family’s political legacy.
Thaksin has been central to a long-standing power struggle in Thailand, pitting the Shinawatra family against royalists and elite factions. After returning from self-imposed exile in August 2023, he was initially sentenced to eight years for corruption, a term later reduced to one year by King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Following a six-month hospital detention, Thaksin was released on parole in February. This latest royal pardon, given to several prisoners, takes effect on Sunday, further highlighting the intertwined fates of the Shinawatra family and Thai politics.
