Family members visited "Thaksin" at Klong Prem Prison, reporting he is in good spirits. They outlined the procedure for reviewing inmates sentenced to final judgment who qualify for parole, expecting completion by 31 Mar 2024 GMT+7.
At Klong Prem Central Prison on 30 Mar 2024 GMT+7, Panthongtae Shinawatra, Natthiya Puangkam (wife), Pinthongta Shinawatra Kunakornwong, and Natthapong Kunakornwong (husband) represented the family to visit Thaksin Shinawatra, accompanied by lawyer Winyat Chatmontri. Supporters wearing red shirts also came to offer encouragement.
After about 30 minutes of visiting Thaksin inside the prison, Pinthongta said, “Today, father’s eyes are slightly red, likely due to blood pressure and some minor capillary issues, but nothing serious. He remains in good spirits.”
Lawyer Winyat addressed the meeting of the Klong Prem Central Prison committee regarding the review of names of inmates sentenced to final judgment eligible for parole consideration, stating, “I genuinely do not know about this matter; it appears to be an internal issue, and I have no information. Regarding the group People's Committee for the Protection of the Nation (PCPN) sending letters opposing Thaksin Shinawatra’s parole to request the Department of Corrections, Ministry of Justice, to reconsider, the prison has not informed us of anything. However, the PCPN regularly takes such actions. Any proceedings must be based on facts; it’s not appropriate to say someone should or should not be paroled based on feelings. I believe the prison has rules, including criteria, laws, and regulations.”
Regarding the review results reporters inquired about, he said he truly does not know. On progress and concerns related to the Section 112 case, there is nothing new; the appeal is still ongoing. Concerning the fuel shortage and high prices, Thaksin’s children have already commented that he is concerned but has not offered any recommendations. The fuel crisis is widely reported worldwide, especially during war, and as a neutral country, we must maintain our status.”
Reporters added that the review process of names and qualifications of inmates sentenced to final judgment at Klong Prem Central Prison, in Thaksin Shinawatra’s round, is expected to be completed by 31 Mar 2024 GMT+7. The prison will submit the list of fully qualified inmates to a committee meeting to consider parole. The committee includes the prison commander as chair, representatives from the Department of Provincial Administration, Probation Department, Office of the Narcotics Control Board, Royal Thai Police, and two prison officers appointed by the commander, with one officer serving as secretary.
The committee will review the list of inmates eligible for parole and related documents. Upon committee approval, the prison commander will forward the list of inmates suitable for parole to the Department of Corrections.
Next, the Department of Corrections committee will scrutinize the completeness of documents according to established criteria and conditions, then submit the qualifying names to a subcommittee for parole decision. The subcommittee includes the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice as chair, Deputy Permanent Secretary, head of behavioral development mission group, directors of the Probation Department, Department of Rights and Liberties Protection, Department of Corrections, Department of Special Investigation, Secretary of the Narcotics Control Board, representatives from the Ministry of Public Health, Office of the Judiciary, Office of the Attorney General, Royal Thai Police, Department of Provincial Administration, Department of Social Development and Welfare, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Corrections overseeing the Penal Operations Division, the director of the Penal Operations Division as a member and secretary, and the director of the Parole Group as member and assistant secretary. This subcommittee reviews, approves, revokes, or sets conditions for parole according to the Corrections Act of 2017, Section 52.
When the subcommittee reviews parole approval, they consider factors including the nature of the offense committed and prior misconduct, probation duration, credibility and suitability of the guardian supervising the inmate to ensure compliance with conditions until sentence completion, behavior during incarceration indicating rehabilitation, public safety impact, and completion of rehabilitation, treatment, and behavioral development within prison as per Ministerial Regulation on Benefits for Final Judgment Prisoners, 2019, Article 44.
If the subcommittee or the minister approves parole and release of the inmate, they notify the prison commander, who then informs probation officers and local administrative or police authorities where the parolee will reside within a reasonable time. The inmate must report to probation officers at their residence within the specified period and comply with conditions outlined in Chapter 9 (Conditions for Early Released Final Judgment Prisoners) of the Ministerial Regulation on Benefits for Final Judgment Prisoners, 2019.