Department of Corrections clarifies the calculation of sentence reduction Thaksin Shinawatra former Prime Minister, scheduled for release on 11 May 2026
On 25 February 2026, the Facebook pagePublic Relations of the Department of Correctionsposted an announcement regarding the sentence reduction of the former Prime Minister stating, "Thaksin Shinawatra, currently imprisoned at Klong Prem Central Prison under the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders, has a sentence of 1 year starting from 9 September 2025 and will complete the sentence on 9 September 2026.
The Department of Corrections wishes to clarify that for sentence reduction, any prisoner who fully meets the qualifications under the 2017 Corrections Act, Section 52 (7), and the ministerial regulations defining the benefits and conditions for final prisoners eligible for sentence reduction, including the amendments in 2019 and 2021, will be eligible only after serving two-thirds of the sentence. They can receive a reduction of up to one-third of the one-year sentence and must be approved by the Subcommittee for Sentence Reduction Consideration. Mr. Thaksin will qualify for sentence reduction on 10 May 2026 and can be released the following day, 11 May 2026.
The Department of Corrections calculates the eligibility date for sentence reduction in accordance with Section 21 of the Penal Code, which stipulates that when calculating imprisonment time, the first day is counted as a full day regardless of hours. If the period is specified in months, 30 days count as one month, and if in years, it follows the official calendar year.
Therefore, calculating two-thirds of Mr. Thaksin's one-year sentence (1 year = 12 months 5 days = 365 days) equals 8 months 4 days or 244 days, corresponding to 10 May 2026, with release possible on the next day, 11 May 2026. Whether electronic monitoring will be applied depends on the Subcommittee's discretion.
Thus, the consideration of sentence reduction for each final prisoner follows the legal framework, ministerial regulations, related procedures, and human rights principles strictly, without discrimination or actions beyond the law."