Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is set to be fully released from his remaining sentence following a royal pardon issued on June 2, 2026, which took effect on June 3, the Queen’s 4th Cycle Birthday Anniversary [1, 2, 3, 4]. The pardon allows convicts on parole with less than one year of their sentence remaining to be granted full release [1, 2, 4].
Thaksin, 76, had been serving the final part of a one-year prison sentence after having been released on parole on May 11, 2026. Prior to parole, his sentence was originally scheduled to end on September 9, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4]. Following the pardon, his legal status will change from parole to full discharge, and he will be allowed to remove his electronic monitoring bracelet [1, 2, 3, 4].
Thaksin returned to Thailand in August 2023 after 15 years of self-exile. He was sentenced to eight years in prison for corruption and abuse of power during his premiership from 2001 to 2006, but the sentence was reduced to one year through prior royal clemency [1, 2, 3]. In 2025, Thailand's Supreme Court ordered Thaksin to return to prison after ruling that his extended hospital stay was unjustified [3].
Justice Minister Rutthaphon Naowarat confirmed on June 3 that Thaksin was among those granted a royal pardon, noting, "He is on the list. He had less than one year remaining of his sentence" [4]. Thaksin’s lawyer Winyat Chartmontri said, "Based on his qualifications, he appears to meet the criteria to receive the benefit of a royal pardon and release" [3].
The Royal Gazette published the Royal Decree on Royal Pardon on June 2, 2026, and the pardon took effect the following day [1, 2, 3, 4]. Some administrative steps remain before Thaksin’s formal release is completed [3, 4].
