Final Round Looms – Former PM Thaksin's Conditional Release on the Line

Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been serving his sentence at Klongprem Central Prison for over seven months. The Shinawatra family, Pheu Thai Party members, and red-shirt supporters are all anticipating his scheduled release date of May 11, 2025, when he becomes eligible for conditional release on probation after serving two-thirds of his one-year sentence. According to his family representatives and legal counsel, a recent visit on April 23 went well, with ten children and grandchildren able to visit during a special Songkran activity arranged by the prison. Both Thaksin and his family were reported to be in good spirits, and while he has some chronic health conditions, his overall health remains stable and not concerning. However, his conditional release is not yet guaranteed – one final procedural step remains before the Justice Ministry subcommittee meeting on Wednesday, April 29, 2025. This ministry-level committee will convene to determine whether Thaksin's sentence reduction will be approved, representing the final hurdle in the process. A corrections department subcommittee previously found that Thaksin met all eligibility criteria, and his case was forwarded to the ministry level for final consideration. The ministry-level subcommittee, chaired by the Permanent Secretary of Justice and including the Directors-General of the Corrections and Probation Departments and representatives from relevant agencies, will make the final determination. Once the ministry approves the conditional release, the prison will be notified to proceed with his release and probation process. His legal team has requested that his probation residence be at Baan Chan Song Luang. If approved on April 29, Thaksin will be released from prison on May 11, undergo four months of probation, and regain full freedom on September 9, 2025. This development represents another significant political movement that many factions are closely monitoring.