BANGKOK :Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is among over 50,000 individuals receiving royal amnesty in celebration of King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s birthday, according to a report by Matichon newspaper, which did not disclose its source.

The royal pardon will result in the immediate release of Mr. Thaksin from his commuted sentence related to corruption charges. Currently, Mr. Thaksin is on parole after his sentence was reduced from eight years to one year nearly a year ago. He was granted parole earlier in 2024 and was scheduled to be released on August 31.

The King’s amnesty, announced on the Royal Gazette website on August 17, is intended to give prisoners, detainees, and those on parole a chance to reintegrate into society. Matichon reports that Mr. Thaksin is one of approximately 7,500 individuals on parole who have been freed.

In a related development, on August 16, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Mr. Thaksin’s youngest daughter, won the parliamentary vote to become Thailand’s new prime minister. She was selected for the role following the Constitutional Court’s dismissal of Mr. Srettha Thavisin, a member of the same Pheu Thai party, in an ethics violation case.