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Agence France-Presse

Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is officially a free man, less than a week after receiving a royal pardon, according to the Department of Corrections.
Thaksin, 76, served eight months of a one-year sentence for corruption and abuse of power before being released on parole last month due to his age and health.
The Department of Corrections said the former premier was required to wear an electronic monitoring device as a condition of his release.
The telecoms billionaire was among those eligible for a royal pardon on June 3, Queen Suthida’s birthday, because he had less than one year remaining on his sentence.
The corrections department said on Tuesday that Thaksin’s electronic monitoring device had been removed. “The prison issued the official release documents and certificate of discharge to Thaksin,” it said in a statement.

Thaksin was “no longer subject to criminal punishment, supervision or related conditions”, it said, noting that the same standards were applied to other eligible parolees.
Thailand regularly grants royal pardons to prisoners with good conduct to mark major royal occasions, including the birthdays of the king and queen.
Thaksin is one of the most influential figures in modern Thai politics and served two terms as prime minister. His second term was cut short by a military coup in 2006, after which he spent more than a decade in self-imposed exile, largely in Dubai, before returning to Thailand in 2023.
Thai media reported that Thaksin was expected to travel to Dubai this month, although no reason for the trip has been disclosed.
His legal representative did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
Tax debt
The former prime minister faces possible bankruptcy proceedings, according to the Revenue Department.
Following a Supreme Court ruling that upheld a 17.6 billion baht (US$534 million) tax assessment against him, the agency has continuously pursued collection efforts, Acting Director-General Somsak Anuntawat said in a statement on Friday. That included issuing payment notices and investigating assets that could be seized or frozen to settle the tax debt.
The department was currently tracing Thaksin’s assets both in Thailand and overseas and coordinating with relevant agencies on enforcement measures, Somsak said.
“If, after all enforcement measures have been exhausted, the outstanding tax liability remains unpaid in full, the department will consider initiating bankruptcy proceedings against Thaksin,” Somsak said in the statement. “We will continue to act within the legal time frame and statute of limitations to safeguard the state’s interests.”


The Supreme Court late last year reinstated a tax penalty over Thaksin’s 2006 sale of his telecoms company Shin Corporation to Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, overturning earlier rulings that had voided the Revenue Department’s claim.
Shin’s US$1.9 billion sale – executed without any tax payment – triggered widespread street protests that ultimately led to Thaksin’s ousting in a military coup. The tax bill essentially revives a long-standing dispute over unpaid personal income tax and allows enforcement proceedings to resume.
Thaksin’s Pheu Thai Party and its predecessors have been among Thailand’s most successful political movements of the 21st century.
The Shinawatra family has produced four prime ministers and has long enjoyed strong support among rural voters.
However, Pheu Thai recorded its worst election result in February, falling to third place and raising questions about the future of Thaksin’s political influence.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg


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Thailand’s Thaksin officially free but faces new multimillion tax battle

Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra thanks supporters upon arriving back home after his release from Klong Prem Central Prison in Bangkok on May 11. Photo: AFP

Thaksin Shinawatra (centre) greets supporters after being released from prison on May 11. Photo: Xinhuaon parole from the Klong Prem Central Prison in Bangkok, Thailand, May 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Sun Weitong)

Thailand’s ex-PM Thaksin gets royal pardon after release on parole

Ex-Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra hugs his daughter and former prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra after being released from prison on parole at Klong Prem Central Prison in Bangkok last month. Photo: EPA

Thailand’s sacked prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra walks out after visiting her father, ex-Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, at Klong Prem Central Prison in Bangkok last September. Photo: AFP

Ex-prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra arrives at the Supreme Court to attend a trial on a charge of criminal negligence in Bangkok in 2017. Photo: AP

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The former prime minister, who was released on parole last month, has had his electronic monitoring device removed


The former prime minister, who was released on parole last month, has had his electronic monitoring device removed.


Thailand’s Thaksin officially free but faces new multimillion tax battle

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The former prime minister, who was released on parole last month, has had his electronic monitoring device removed

The former prime minister, who was released on parole last month, has had his electronic monitoring device removed