00:00Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawath has been released on parole,
00:05ending months of controversy over whether he avoided serving time behind bars.
00:11The 76-year-old billionaire and one of Thailand's most influential political figures
00:16walked free on Monday after serving around eight months of a reduced sentence
00:21linked to abuse of power and conflicts of interest during his time in office.
00:28Supporters gathered outside Bangkok's Klompram Central Prison chanting as Thaksin emerged
00:33following his release. Thaksin returned to Thailand in 2023 after 15 years in self-imposed exile.
00:41He had originally been sentenced to eight years in prison,
00:44though that was later reduced to one year by Thailand's king.
00:48But his imprisonment quickly drew scrutiny. Just hours after entering prison, Thaksin was
00:54transferred to hospital, citing chest pains and heart-related issues, and remained there for six
00:59months in a VIP ward. Last year, Thailand's Supreme Court ruled that his extended hospital stay
01:05had improperly allowed him to avoid prison time. Despite his release, Thaksin will still be required
01:12to wear an electronic ankle monitor for the remainder of his sentence.
01:15Once the dominant force in Thai politics, Thaksin's influence has weakened in recent years,
01:22with his Politei party suffering its worst election performance earlier this year.
Comments