Council of State secretary-general Pakorn Nilprapunt said on Monday that the Office of the Attorney-General’s (OAG) decision to appeal former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s Section 112 case should not affect his eligibility for early release, though he noted he had yet to review the legal details in full.

Speaking at Government House at 1:10pm, Pakorn responded to concerns that the OAG’s appeal might block the former premier from seeking early release under Case Category 14.

“It should not affect his right to apply for early release. The appeal is not a judgment; the case is still ongoing. Early release should still be possible — but I need to review the law before giving a firm answer.”

He added that under current corrections rules, an inmate must serve one-third of the sentence — or at least six months — before they become eligible to apply.

There is no requirement to serve more than that.

When asked whether Thaksin could serve as an election campaign assistant if granted early release, Pakorn replied that the question was premature:

“This is going too far. I would need to check the details. I cannot answer without certainty.”

On the Supreme Court’s tax ruling

Pakorn also addressed the Supreme Court’s verdict reinstating a 17.6-billion-baht tax bill on Thaksin relating to the Shin Corp share sale. He said the Finance Ministry does not need to take any special action beyond the standard legal process.

“The ministry must request the court to issue an enforcement order. That is the normal procedure — nothing unusual.”

Asked whether Thaksin’s assets could be seized immediately, he stated:

“It must follow proper legal procedures. Any seized assets would belong to the state. This is standard practice, not specific to any one case.”

He said the timeframe for asset seizure would depend on the asset-tracing process, adding that further details should be obtained from the Legal Execution Department.