Protesters seek Thaksin parole halt

Key facts

• Protesters petitioned the Ministry of Justice to suspend the parole review process for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, alleging that authorities had misinterpreted the law and ignored key findings by the Supreme Court concerning his stay at the Police General Hospital while serving a prison sentence.
• The protest was led by the People–Student Network for Reform of Thailand (KPT), headed by activist Pichit Chaimongkol, who submitted a formal letter to the Justice Ministry at its Chaeng Watthana headquarters on Thursday. The petition was received by ministry official Kittiwit Khongboonrak on behalf of the minister.
• The group called on the minister to order a review and suspension of decisions made by three parole committees that approved Thaksin's release under electronic monitoring conditions.
• Mr Pichit argued that the Department of Corrections had wrongly cited Sections 92 and 93 of the Criminal Code, which concern repeat offences within five years, in explaining why Thaksin remained eligible for parole.
• He said the issue instead centred on whether Thaksin committed disciplinary or criminal violations during his detention after returning to Thailand in August 2024.