Nattawut Backs Thaksin Pardon Bid as Legal Right, Denies Secret Deal

On November 2, 2026, former National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) leader Nattawut Saikua posted a photo with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Facebook, addressing news reports that Thaksin was pressuring the National Reconciliation Committee to accept a pardon petition in exchange for Pheu Thai votes in the no-confidence debate. Nattawut stated that Thaksin no longer faces any prison sentences, as all cases concluded upon his release. Filing a petition with the committee to erase his criminal record — stemming from cases initiated by the coup regime — is a legal right equal to that of every Thai citizen. The committee's decision rests solely with its members, and the process is currently in the preliminary screening stage. The Article 112 (lese-majeste) case remains before the Court of Appeals and must proceed through the judicial process, as it is explicitly excluded from the Reconciliation Act. The committee's first resolution allows petitions to be submitted directly to the Office of the Prime Minister or online; it is unknown how many petitions have been filed. The committee has six months to complete all procedures. Nattawut insisted the outcome must be public, not secret. He added that given the current political landscape — with no coalition fractures and the opposition recently losing some whip coordination — government support votes may rise while opposition votes may fall, making a secret vote-trading deal politically unnecessary. Regarding Thaksin, Nattawut said: 'Whoever hasn't met him in person won't understand.' When the coup regime granted itself amnesty from day one, a prime minister ousted from an elected government has every right to fight through every channel to the very end.