Nattawut Awaits Thaksin's Release After Sentence Commutation, Pledges Respect for Any Decision to Exit Politics

At 5:00 PM on May 10, 2569, Nattawut Saikua, director of Thai Raksa Chart's family faction and red-shirt movement leader, visited the Bangkok Remand Prison at Khlong Prem to meet with fellow red-shirt supporters who have been maintaining a presence at the facility. He distributed packaged meals from a southern restaurant while supporters embraced him and took selfies enthusiastically.

Nattawut gave an interview about preparations to receive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra following his sentence commutation on May 11. He expressed confidence that Thaksin's family and supporting citizens were eagerly anticipating his return to freedom, noting that the atmosphere had been building since the afternoon, with weekly gatherings at the prison gradually increasing in numbers. He expected the area to be crowded throughout the evening, with supporters traveling from various provinces planning to stay overnight, while those from Bangkok and surrounding areas would come to offer encouragement.

Nattawut explained that he arrived early in the morning due to concerns about Monday traffic congestion on the route. According to reports, Thaksin would be released around 8:00 AM, meet briefly with supporters offering encouragement, and then return home to his family without any speeches or special ceremonies—just a simple wave and eye contact with waiting supporters.

Nattawut requested that supporters and those traveling the route cooperate with event organizers who had coordinated with police and Department of Corrections officials to minimize traffic disruption. He apologized for any inconveniences during peak hours and assured that authorities were ready to provide full cooperation.

Nattawut described Thaksin as a prime minister with the most concrete achievements in Thai political history, who received the highest electoral support ever in Thai politics and possessed exceptional crisis management and quality-of-life improvement capabilities. However, he noted that Thaksin, as an elected prime minister, had been subjected to political persecution by coup forces and extraconstitutional powers more severely than any other leader. He emphasized that coups are not solutions and that those targeted by military takeovers will always have the support of democracy-loving citizens.

When asked about criticism of Thaksin's sentence commutation, Nattawut noted that the Department of Corrections' system involves careful review by multiple committees in phases. He acknowledged questions about whether a 77-year-old would still need to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet, suggesting this raised concerns for many, including himself.