Over 81,000 inmates granted royal clemency on King’s birthday anniversary
Over 81,000 Thai inmates receive royal clemency on King’s birthday, with 12,739 to be released and thousands more having sentences reduced.
More than 81,000 inmates across Thailand will receive royal clemency—either through early release or sentence reduction—on the occasion of His Majesty the King’s birthday anniversary on 28 July, Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong said on Wednesday.
Royal pardon to benefit over 80,000 prisoners
Tawee stated that he was awaiting an official report from the Department of Corrections on the exact number of recipients, but he estimated the total would exceed 80,000 nationwide.
When asked whether two high-profile convicts involved in the fake government-to-government (G-to-G) rice deal would be among those pardoned, Tawee responded that it would depend on the length of their remaining jail terms.
High-profile G-to-G rice case convicts unlikely to be freed
Reporters specifically inquired about former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and Apichart Chansakulporn, both convicted in the G-to-G rice scheme.
Tawee clarified that inmates already on parole would be eligible for release under the royal pardon. However, in Boonsong’s case, with three years and five months of his sentence remaining, he would only have his sentence reduced—by about one-third—not fully pardoned.
Department of Corrections confirms 81,333 to benefit
A Department of Corrections official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that out of 216,522 inmates currently in the system, 81,333 would receive royal clemency this year.
Breakdown of royal clemency:
- 12,739 inmates will be released immediately
- 7,599 inmates will have their sentence reduced to allow for imminent release
- 4,996 individuals held in lieu of unpaid fines will be freed
- 55,999 inmates will have their sentences commuted but must continue serving time in prison
