Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been named among those granted a royal pardon in celebration of Her Majesty the Queen’s 4th cycle birthday anniversary, Justice Minister Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon Naowarat said on Wednesday.
The justice minister confirmed that Thaksin's name appeared on the list of pardon recipients. He did not say how many were on the list.
Asked to clarify Mr Thaksin's legal status, and whether he would have to complete the remaining one month and 10 days of his sentence, Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon said the former premier would be released from his sentence immediately.
“Under the law, he is released at once because he has less than one year of his sentence remaining, in accordance with Section 8,” he said.
The ousted prime minister is being released in accordance with Section 8 of the 2026 Royal Decree on Royal Pardons because he has less than one year of his sentence remaining.
When asked whether the ex-premier's electronic tag could also be removed immediately, the minister replied in the affirmative.
Further procedural steps in implementing pardons are to be handled by provincial committees, Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon said.
Mr Thaksin was, prior to the announcement, on a four-month probationary parole that began on May 11 and was scheduled to complete his sentence on Sept 9, 2026. During that period, he was required to report to his probation officer once a month.
The royal pardon immediately terminates his probation period, meaning he is no longer required to report to probation authorities and does not have to wait until Sept 9 for his sentence to expire.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul congratulated Thaksin on his receiving a royal pardon, but declined to comment further to reporters.
Speaking at Sanam Luang at 7.30am, Mr Anutin said he had learned of the pardon from news reports and wished to extend his congratulations to his predecessor.
“Today (June 3) is an auspicious day. We will not discuss other matters,” he said.
The prime minister invited the public to join a candle-lighting ceremony at Sanam Luang at 7pm in honour of Her Majesty the Queen on the occasion of the royal celebration of the Queen’s 48th birthday anniversary.
Mr Anutin called on people nationwide to participate in the ceremony and offer their best wishes for Her Majesty's long life and good health.
Thaksin's daughter Pintongta Shinawatra Kunakornwong said the family was deeply grateful and delighted by the news, speaking through tears.
"I am happy for my father, for our family, and for all the other families whose loved ones have also received a royal pardon," she said.
She had spoken with her younger sister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, a former prime minister, and they shared the same sense of relief and joy.
"A period of time has passed and things have been relatively calm recently, but we are very happy about this. We feel deeply honoured and grateful for the freedom that has been granted," Ms Pintongta said.
Mr Thaksin, 76, was sent to prison on Sept 9 last year, when the Supreme Court ordered him to actually serve his one-year sentence for abuse of authority and conflict of interest while serving as prime minister prior to 2006.
The court said it did not recognise his prolonged stay in a VIP ward at the Police General Hospital between 2023 and 2024 as qualifying for prison time. It said it considered as illegitimate the transfer of Mr Thaksin from the Bangkok Remand Prison shortly after his arrival there to the Police General Hospital after he complained of chest pain.
The Supreme Court on Aug 22, 2023 ordered Mr Thaksin to serve the year's imprisonment to which he was sentenced two years earlier.
