Justice Minister Accepts Thaksin Amnesty Petition for Review
Justice Minister Pol. Lt. Gen. Ruthapol Naowarat confirmed that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's amnesty petition will be added to the screening subcommittee's next agenda. The subcommittee can now review petitions in batches and forward completed opinions to the National Reconciliation Committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, which plans to meet soon to deliberate on all cases.
Justice Minister Pol. Lt. Gen. Ruthapol Naowarat acknowledged the amnesty petition submitted by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and said it will be included on the agenda for the next meeting of the screening subcommittee. On 4 November 2026 at the Ministry of Justice on Chaeng Watthana Road in Bangkok, the minister disclosed progress from the first meeting of the subcommittee tasked with screening amnesty requests under the National Reconciliation Act. The subcommittee, chaired by Permanent Secretary Piyapong Watanawarangkul, focused on setting a timeframe for reviewing petitions related to various political rallies before submitting opinions to the National Reconciliation Committee.
According to the minister, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, in his capacity as chair of the National Reconciliation Committee, intends to convene a meeting as soon as possible to consider all matters. This means the screening subcommittee does not necessarily have to finish all reviews in a single session; cases that are ready can be forwarded to the main committee, and any additional petitions submitted later can be examined in stages. The minister expects the main committee to reach a resolution immediately after its meeting.
Regarding the second subcommittee meeting mentioned by the permanent secretary, which would take up Thaksin Shinawatra's petition for amnesty on corruption charges filed under the National Reconciliation Act B.E. 2569, the minister stated that once the petition enters the subcommittee's agenda and the subcommittee forms an opinion, it must be forwarded to the National Reconciliation Committee in due course.
