The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has formally submitted a petition for an individual royal pardon, which has now advanced to the Secretariat of the Cabinet for further consideration.
Thaksin lodged the request on September 10, a day after the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions sentenced him to one year in prison in connection with his 14th legal case.
Justice Minister Pol Col Tawee Sodsong completed the ministry-level review on September 23 and forwarded the petition through the required channels.
A senior ministry source confirmed on September 28 that the petition had cleared the Justice Ministry’s stage and was proceeding in line with standard procedure.
Officials explained that individual royal pardons are a right available to all inmates serving final sentences, allowing them or their close relatives to request clemency.
The process is lengthy and involves several stages. Prisons first conduct investigations and prepare documentation, which is then reviewed by the Department of Corrections.
The justice minister subsequently offers an opinion before the petition is passed to the Secretariat of the Cabinet, then to the Privy Council, and ultimately to consideration under royal prerogative.
Each body may recommend whether or not clemency should be granted, but the final decision rests entirely with the royal command.
This marks Thaksin’s second petition for a royal pardon. His first, filed in August 2023, saw his original eight-year prison sentence reduced to one year, shortly after his return to Thailand from 15 years in self-imposed exile.
The latest petition coincides with the early days of the new Cabinet, which was appointed by royal decree on September 19 and sworn in on September 24.
The new ministers are set to deliver their policy statement to Parliament on September 29–30, after which the administration will begin full operations.
Meanwhile, speculation continues over Thaksin’s reported assignment to supervise sewer-cleaning crews from Klong Prem Central Prison.
The claim has yet to be confirmed, though his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, told reporters that prison officials had informed her of the role. If approved, the assignment would permit Thaksin to leave prison under supervision during work hours.
