Thailand’s former PM Thaksin Shinawatra released from prison

Thailand's influential former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was released from prison on May 11, after about eight months behind bars following a court ruling that deemed he had wrongfully stayed in hospital to avoid jail time.



The 76-year-old billionaire remade and dominated Thai politics for a quarter-century, but his influence has waned of late following his jailing and his once formidable Pheu Thai Party's worst election performance on record earlier in 2026.



His hair closely cropped and in a simple white shirt, Thaksin walked out of prison around 7.40am local time (8.40am Singapore time) and was immediately surrounded by family members, including his daughter and protege, Ms Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was sacked as prime minister by a court order in August 2025, weeks before his incarceration.



Hundreds of supporters who had thronged outside Bangkok’s Klong Prem Central Prison since the early hours of May 11 chanted “we love Thaksin” as he greeted them on his release, having served about two-thirds of his sentence before being paroled.