Thaksin Shinawatra has been granted a royal pardon and must wait to receive a "Certificate of Innocence" before having his electronic monitoring (EM) bracelet removed to regain full freedom and be removed from the criminal record registry that affects travel abroad.
On 3 June 2026, reporters reported that Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra, former Prime Minister, has been granted a royal pardon for release. This is in accordance with Section 8 of the Royal Decree on the Granting of Royal Pardons, B.E. 2569 (2026) (read more: a Royal Command has been issued granting pardons to inmates.) Due to the fact that the remaining sentence is no more than one year from the date the Royal Decree came into effect, originally, Mr. Thaksin was under probation for 4 months starting 11 May 2026 and was to be fully released on 9 September 2026. During probation, he had to report to probation officers at the Bangkok Probation Office once a month. However, the probation period ends immediately with the royal pardon decree, so he no longer needs to wait until 9 September. This royal pardon decree confirms that the former prime minister meets all conditions for immediate release.
Regarding the removal of the EM bracelet after release, the former prime minister must still await the decision of the committee under Section 21, which states: "The provincial governor, a local court judge or military court judge, and a local prosecutor or military prosecutor—three persons forming a committee—are responsible for reviewing those granted royal pardons and submitting the list to the local court within 120 days from the decree’s effective date. This facilitates the court’s consideration of release orders, sentence reductions, or cancellation of community service or public benefit work in lieu of fines, as applicable. For those imprisoned by lawful order and granted royal pardon, the committee must also submit the list to the Prime Minister within 120 days for consideration of release or sentence reduction. Once release or reduction orders are issued, the committee shall keep records in the prison or detention center, send copies to the court, Ministry of Justice, and submit one copy for royal endorsement."
Additionally, Mr. Thaksin must obtain the "Certificate of Innocence" document, a crucial official document confirming the lawful release of a prisoner who has completed their sentence. This certificate serves as proof of lawful release and is used to remove the individual’s name from the criminal record registry, which affects international travel. Once the committee’s review process under Section 21 is complete and the Certificate of Innocence is issued, the former prime minister will be scheduled to meet with probation officers at the Bangkok Probation Office 1 to have his EM bracelet removed and fully regain his freedom.