The former prime minister of Thailand has been released from a police hospital on bail.
Thaksin Shinawatra was setenced to a year in prison after being charged with corruption and abuse of power offences.
The 74-year-old was initially arrested in 2023 after spending 15 years in a self-imposed exile.
Former Manchester City owner Shinawatra did not spend a single night in prison having complained about health problems, reports The BBC.
Thaksin’s eight-year prison sentence was commuted to a single year by Thailand’s king after the returned from exlie.
The case has however drawn criticism suggesting rich people are afforded a privileged treatment.
In the early hours of Sunday, Thaksin was spotted being drive away from the police hospital in Bangkok, where he has spent the last six months.
Authorities in Thailand say he was eligible for parole due to his age and declining health.
No details about travel restrictions or any conditiosn have been released by authorities.
Thaksin is considered by many to be Thailand’s most succesful leader. He has long been feared by conservative royalists who backed military coups and court cases to weaken his power.
He left the nation in 2008, having been removed by a coup in 2006. His years in exlie were spent between London and Dubai.
The Pheu Thai party, formed by Thaksin, is currently in power. However, he remains a divisive figure in Thailand, adored by many of those in poorer areas and loathed by the elite.
Thaksin was the first prime minister in Thailand to lead an elected government through a full term from 2001 to 2006.
