Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been approved for parole and is set to leave Klong Prem Central Prison on May 11, though his lawyer says Thaksin has questioned a requirement to wear an electronic monitoring (EM) bracelet given his age and health condition.
Lawyer Winyat Chatmontree told reporters yesterday, April 30, that a Justice Ministry sub-committee had included Thaksin’s name in a list of 859 inmates approved for parole under general criteria. Probation procedures will follow his release.
Winyat said Thaksin welcomed the parole decision but raised concerns over the EM bracelet condition, citing his age of over 70 and chronic health issues. Thaksin was also quoted as saying he had no intention of leaving the country.
“If I wanted to escape, I wouldn’t have submitted myself to serve the sentence,” Thaksin was quoted as saying.
Thaksin was jailed late last year after the Supreme Court ruled that his six-month hospital stay did not count towards his prison term. He had originally been due for release on September 9.
Former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksin’s youngest daughter, visited him at Klong Prem prison yesterday, reported Bangkok Post, where she told reporters the family was pleased about the parole but shared their reservations about the EM condition.
“Normally, elderly inmates don’t need EM bracelets, but since the committee decided, we will follow the process,” she said. Paetongtarn added that Thaksin’s priority upon release would be a full medical check-up.
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