ON PROBABTION:
The former Thai PM was jailed after the Supreme Court ruled that he improperly served a 2023 sentence in a hospital suite rather than a prison cell
AFP, BANGKOK
Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was released early from prison yesterday, raising the prospect of a return to the spotlight for the political heavyweight.The 76-year-old telecom billionaire served eight months of a one-year prison sentence for corruption and is required to wear an electronic monitor during his four-month probation period.Thaksin hugged family members outside the Bangkok jail where several hundred supporters wearing their signature red shirts had gathered, some shouting “we love Thaksin,” a journalist reported.
Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, center, embraces his family as he departs from Klong Prem Central Prison in Bangkok yesterday.
