Ruttaphon explained that Thaksin's parole is following the normal procedures, with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice as the signatory, and that they are awaiting opinions on whether he must wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.
At 12:40 p.m. on 21 Apr 2026 GMT+7 at the Government House, Pol. Lt. Gen. Ruttaphon Naowarat, Minister of Justice, spoke about the parole process for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is scheduled to be released from prison on 11 May. He said the application has been submitted and a meeting will be held on 29 Apr. This is a standard parole request, and it is the authority of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice to sign. The process has already passed through three committees.
When asked again if there were no issues, Pol. Lt. Gen. Ruttaphon said he did not know the details, only the timeline and procedures. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice is the signatory. He confirmed that he was not involved and that it is a routine parole procedure. When asked whether wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet would be required, he said that depends on the opinions submitted.
Regarding whether there has been any assessment of the political impact if Thaksin is released from prison, Pol. Lt. Gen. Ruttaphon said he does not know.