The Klong Prem Central Prison committee approved Thaksin Shinawatra as one of 10 convicted prisoners meeting eligibility criteria for parole consideration. Whether he will be required to wear an EM bracelet depends on the committee's discretion.
At 3:00 p.m. on 31 Mar 2026 GMT+7, reporters reported that Klong Prem Central Prison submitted a list of fully qualified convicted prisoners to the committee meeting for parole review. The committee consisted of the prison commander as chair, representatives from the Department of Provincial Administration, the Probation Department, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, the Royal Thai Police, and two prison officers appointed by the commander. One prison officer served as secretary. The committee reviewed the list of convicted prisoners eligible for parole and related documents.
The committee unanimously approved 10 convicted prisoners who met the criteria for parole consideration. The committee instructed the Klong Prem Central Prison commander to forward the list of 10 qualified prisoners to the Department of Corrections. Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra is one of the 10 convicts who meet the criteria for general parole consideration.
Next, the Department of Corrections committee will thoroughly verify the completeness of documents according to established criteria and conditions. This process will take about two months before submitting the qualified list to a subcommittee for parole review. The subcommittee will decide whether to approve, revoke, or set probation conditions and determine parole criteria, all in accordance with Section 52 of the Corrections Act B.E. 2560 (2017).
The parole review subcommittee will decide to approve or deny parole for convicted prisoners by considering various factors: the nature of the offense committed, prior offenses, probation period, the credibility and suitability of the guardian supervising the convict, the convict’s conduct during incarceration demonstrating reform, societal safety impact, and completion of rehabilitation and behavioral development within prison, as specified in Clause 44 of the Ministerial Regulations on the Benefits for Convicted Prisoners B.E. 2562 (2019).
Once the subcommittee or the minister approves parole and release of a qualified convicted prisoner, the prison commander will be notified. Then, notifications will be sent to probation officers, local administrative officers, or police in the area where the released prisoner will reside in a timely manner. The released prisoner must report to the probation officer within the specified period and comply with conditions outlined in Chapter 9 (Conditions for Convicted Prisoners Released Before Sentence Completion) of the Ministerial Regulations on the Benefits for Convicted Prisoners B.E. 2562 (2019).
Regarding whether Thaksin Shinawatra will be required to wear an EM bracelet upon parole and release on 11 May, the decision rests with the respective committees at each review stage. They will consider his health and age, as he is over 70 years old, as well as the environment and safety of the probation location and surrounding community, assessing any risk of reoffending or public concern.