Former Thailand PM and Ex Manchester City Owner Thaksin Shinawatra To Be Released on Parole
Thailand's former Prime Minister and former owner of Manchester City, Thaksin Shinawatra, is set to be released on parole after serving six months of his one-year sentence for abuse of power. The 74-year-old has been granted parole due to his age and health, according to Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong. Shinawatra is one of 930 inmates being released early as a result of illness, disability, or age.
Thaksin, whose eight-year sentence was reduced to one through a royal pardon, had been serving his term in a police hospital in Bangkok. While the release marks the end of his brief prison stint, it also reignites concerns about possible lese majeste charges under Thailand's royal insult law, as authorities reopened an investigation into allegations from nearly nine years ago.
A telecom billionaire and former owner of Manchester City, Thaksin served as prime minister from 2001 to 2006 until he was ousted by a military coup and spent over 14 years in exile before returning to Thailand last August. Thaksin's return last year coincided with the election victory of Prime Minister Srettha, a member of the Pheu Thai party, indicating a complex political landscape where traditional elites and the military maintain influence.
As Thaksin, a polarising figure in Thai politics, prepares for his imminent release, the country finds itself at a critical juncture, grappling with the dynamics of power, generational shifts, and ongoing legal challenges that have far-reaching implications for its political landscape.
