His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua has granted a royal pardon to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, according to an announcement published in the Royal Gazette on 1 September 2023.

The royal pardon, dated 31 August, was countersigned by Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha. It reduces Mr. Thaksin’s jail term from eight years to one year. He submitted a request for a royal pardon following his return to Thailand recently after about 15 years in self-exile abroad.

Upon arrival, he was ordered by the Supreme Court to serve eight years in prison for three cases. In the first case, Mr. Thaksin was convicted of misconduct in public office, and in the second case, he was charged with misconduct in public office, along with breaches of state organization law. The third case involved conflict of interest, apart from misconduct in public office.

As Mr. Thaksin has already served 10 days of his sentence, he still has seven years, 11 months, and 20 days of jail time remaining at the Bangkok Remand Prison.

The announcement indicated that Mr. Thaksin was the former prime minister and made contributions to the country and the people. He also showed loyalty to the institution of the monarchy, respected the justice process, admitted his guilt, and accepted that he should serve his punishment.

Mr. Thaksin is now at advanced age and faces health problems, so he needs medical treatment from specialist doctors. His Majesty the King granted a reduction of Mr. Thaksin’s prison sentence to one year, so that he could use his knowledge, ability, and experience to contribute to the nation, society, and the people.