Department of Corrections Clarifies Sentence Suspension for Thaksin Is Legal and Complies with Corrections Act
The Department of Corrections confirmed that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's sentence suspension complies with law, clarifying he meets eligibility requirements despite being classified as a middle-class prisoner rather than firs
The Department of Corrections has clarified that the sentence suspension granted to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was conducted in accordance with the law and does not violate the Corrections Act of 2560. The clarification comes after reports suggested that sentence suspension eligibility requires first-class prisoner status under a ministerial regulation defining benefits for prisoners. Thaksin, classified as a middle-class prisoner, meets the legal requirements for sentence suspension. The Corrections Act of 2560, Section 52, outlines eight possible benefits for prisoners demonstrating good behavior, diligence, and academic progress, which do not specify prisoner class requirements. The 2564 ministerial regulation revision establishing sentence suspension procedures operates within the authority granted by Section 53(7) of the Corrections Act and received approval from the Corrections Committee. Thaksin's prison sentence of one year, following a royal pardon reducing his original combined sentence from three cases, does not constitute repeat offenses under criminal code provisions, qualifying him as a middle-class prisoner who has served two-thirds of his sentence and is eligible for suspension consideration.
