Department of Corrections says Thaksin eligible for parole in May 2026, insists process is lawful and non-discriminatory

The Department of Corrections said former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is being held at Klong Prem Central Prison under an order of the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions, serving a one-year sentence from September 9, 2025, due to end on September 9, 2026.

Regarding parole (suspension of the remainder of the sentence), the department said this is in accordance with the Corrections Act B.E. 2560 (2017), Section 52(7), and the Ministerial Regulation on the Reduction of Days of Imprisonment B.E. 2562 (2019), as amended.

It said Thaksin would only fully qualify once he has served two-thirds of his sentence, and may receive parole for no more than one-third of the sentence. He must also pass consideration and obtain approval from the Subcommittee for the Consideration and Decision on Parole, in order to meet the criteria for release on parole under the normal process, around May 2026.

During a press event on Tuesday, Justice Minister Pol Lt-General Rutthapon Naowarat addressed the case of parole for Thaksin, saying everything is in accordance with the law. He said Thaksin has served two-thirds of his sentence, meaning this is a standard parole case.

He said a working group process begins at the prison level, with representatives from relevant agencies considering the case as a committee. The case is then screened at the level of the Director-General of the Department of Corrections before an opinion on Thaksin’s parole is forwarded to the main committee for consideration as the final step. Ultimately, however, the authority to sign off rests with the Permanent Secretary for Justice.

As for the separate Section 112 case involving Thaksin, which prosecutors have appealed, Rutthapon stressed that it is for the main committee to consider again.

Parole process begins at the prison level

Parole consideration begins with procedures inside the prison, with Klong Prem Central Prison to proceed as follows:

1. Prison working group review

Klong Prem Central Prison will submit the names of eligible convicted prisoners to a meeting of the prison’s working group for parole consideration and decision. The working group comprises the prison commander as chair, representatives from the Department of Provincial Administration, the Department of Probation, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, and the Royal Thai Police, and two prison officers appointed by the prison commander as working group members,
with one prison officer serving as secretary.

This prison-level working group will verify the list of convicted prisoners who should be granted parole and the relevant documents. If the working group agrees, the prison commander will submit the names of those deemed suitable for parole to the Department of Corrections.

2. Screening by the Department of Corrections

The Department of Corrections will review, screen and verify the completeness of documents in line with the prescribed criteria and conditions, and submit its opinion to the Subcommittee for the Consideration and Decision on Parole.

3. Subcommittee sets conditions and decides cases

The Subcommittee for the Consideration and Decision on Parole sets conditions, probation requirements, and the criteria for parole consideration, and makes decisions in accordance with the Corrections Act B.E. 2560 (2017), Section 52(7).

At the subcommittee level, the members are the Permanent Secretary for Justice as chair, the Deputy Permanent Secretary for Justice, the Head of the mission group for behavioural development, the Director-General of the Department of Probation, the Director-General of the Department of Rights and Liberties Protection, the Director-General of the Department of Corrections, the Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation, the Secretary-General of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, representatives from the Ministry of Public Health, the Office of the Judiciary, the Office of the Attorney General, the Royal Thai Police, the Department of Provincial Administration, and the Department of Social Development and Welfare, and the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Corrections overseeing the Corrections Operations Division, as subcommittee members.

The Director of the Corrections Operations Division serves as subcommittee member and secretary, while the Director of the Parole Group serves as subcommittee member and assistant secretary.

4. Factors considered by the subcommittee

The subcommittee has the authority to approve or reject parole for convicted prisoners. Factors considered include the circumstances of the case and any prior offending history, the probation period, the credibility and suitability of the sponsor/guardian responsible for ensuring the convicted prisoner complies with conditions until the sentence ends, conduct during imprisonment indicating the person has reformed, impacts on public safety, and whether the person has undergone correction, treatment, rehabilitation and behavioural development in prison, as set out in Clause 44 of the Ministerial Regulation prescribing benefits for convicted prisoners B.E. 2562 (2019), to be used as supporting considerations.

5. Notification and reporting requirements after approval

Once the subcommittee or the minister approves parole and release, the approval outcome will be notified to the prison commander. Written notice will also be sent to probation officers and local administrative officials or police in the area where the released convicted prisoner will reside, within an appropriate time frame. The convicted prisoner must report to a probation officer in the place of residence within the prescribed period, and must comply with the conditions set out in Chapter 9 (conditions that a convicted prisoner released before completing a sentence must comply with) of the Ministerial Regulation prescribing benefits for convicted prisoners B.E. 2562 (2019).

The Department of Corrections said that parole consideration for convicted prisoners is therefore carried out strictly within the framework of relevant laws, ministerial regulations, rules and operational guidelines, as well as human rights principles, and does not involve discrimination or any action beyond what the law provides.