Thailand's former PM Thaksin Shinawatra appeals for royal pardon

Thailand's jailed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra appealed for a royal pardon, a government minister confirmed on Thursday (August 31), amid spreading rumours of a backroom deal for clemency.

The 74-year-old billionaire, who was elected as the prime minister twice and was ousted in a 2006 military coup, was imprisoned last week immediately after he returned to the country from 15 years of self-exile.

The homecoming of the former prime minister coincided with the return of his Pheu Thai party to power after forming an alliance with many pro-military parties, which ignited speculation that an agreement was finalised to decrease his time in prison.

Caretaker justice minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said an application was submitted by Thaksin for a pardon from the eight-year prison term which he was serving after he was convicted for abuse of power and graft.

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"We have received (the request), the rest will be according to the procedure," said Wissanu, speaking to the reporters. When questioned how long the process takes, Wissanu said, "It is purely based on royal grace. The procedure from the government is not long, but it depends on the length of (the king's) consideration."

As per the law of Thailand, prisoners are free to submit a pardon application which goes through the justice minister to the prime minister and then to the privy council before reaching King Maha Vajiralongkorn. As per the officials, the process will likely take one to two months, if all the paperwork is submitted in order.

After landing in Bangkok last week, the first public act of Thaksin was to prostrate himself in homage before the king's portrait at the airport.

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A hero's welcome

Hours after landing in Bangkok, Thaksin received a hero's welcome from his numerous supporters. Meanwhile, Pheu Thai's Srettha Thavisin was announced as the prime minister on Tuesday which marked the appointment of the first premier of the party since Thaksin's sister Yingluck was removed in a coup in 2014.

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Hours after he was imprisoned, Thaksin was shifted to a police hospital as prison medical officers said that he needed close monitoring because of various health problems, which included heart trouble.

As reported by Thai media, Thaksin was staying in a private VIP suite on the Police General Hospital's 14th floor in downtown Bangkok. On Thursday afternoon, a small anti-Thaksin group gathered in Bangkok to demand he serve his time.

(With inputs from agencies)

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