Former Thailand prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is currently serving out parole on a one-year sentence for conflict of interest and abuse of power, has been granted a royal pardon, to be effective on Aug. 18.

In exile

Thaksin was Thailand's prime minister from 2001 to 2006, and was generally considered to be a popular, and some say populist, leader.

He was ousted by Thailand's military in 2006, and charged with abuse of power and conflict of interest.

He would go into self-exile, and was sentenced to eight years in absentia, and would spend the next 15 years outside of Thailand.

His sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, would become prime minister herself, but would also be ousted by the military in 2014, leading to the military government which implemented the constitution that governs Thailand to this day.

Coalition and commutation

That constitution would prevent the popular opposition Move Forward Party from taking power after it won a surprise victory in the 2023 general election.

Instead, a coalition led by the Pheu Thai party, together with several parties that had backed the previous military government, took power, making Srettha Thavisin prime minister.

The Pheu Thai Party is seen to be Thaksin's political vehicle, and his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra is one of the party's leaders.

Shortly after Srettha came to power, Thaksin chose to end his exile, returning to Thailand and accepting his eight-year sentence.

But that sentence would soon be commuted to one year, and Thaksin would spend much of it from a police hospital, citing medical concerns.

In February 2024 he was released on parole, in line with Thai legal guidelines, although soon after he was once again facing charges of lese majesty, for comments he made in 2015 regarding the ousting of his sister.

Pardon the expression

On Aug. 14 Srettha was removed from the PM role by Thailand's constitutional court, which had disbanded the MFP a week earlier.

Although Srettha was removed, Pheu Thai's coalition remained intact, and soon nominated Paetongtarn to be the new PM, and she was formally voted into office on Aug. 16.

News of Thaksin's royal pardon broke the day after, as reported by the Bangkok Post and Reuters.

Both reported that Thaksin's pardon came as part of a list of 7,500 pardons, issued in conjunction with King Maha Vajiralongkorn's birthday in July 2024.

Thaksin's pardon will come into effect on Aug. 18, shortening his parole by a few weeks as it was originally due to finish at the end of August 2024.

The Bangkok Post cast some doubt on Thaksin's behavior prior to his pardon, however.

Part of the deal for his initial commutation was that he would not participate in politics, to which the Post said that the "patriarch of the Governing Pheu Thai Party has been very active behind the scenes... and then some".

Thaksin, 75, is now a free man, for the moment. His lesee-majeste trial looms on the horizon, although a date has not yet been set.

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Top image via @ingshin21/Instagram