Two former senior army officers jailed for their roles in the 2003 beer bar demolition at Sukhumvit Square, on the corner of soi 10, in Bangkok were freed under a royal pardon on Tuesday after serving 11 months.
Lt Col Himalai Phiewphan, formerly of Armed Forces Development Command, and Maj Thanyathep Thammathorn, formerly of the 11th Infantry Regiment, King's Guard, were sentenced to two years in jail in January over the violent demolition of bars and shops on Sukhumvit Square night strip in 2003, along with 64 others.
One was former Rak Thailand Party politician Chuvit Kamolvisit, who was released last Friday.
Lt Col Himalai, Maj Thanyathep and Chuvit, the three key defendants in the case, are among 30,000 inmates benefiting from a royal decree issued on Dec 10 by His Majesty the King granting a pardon to minor offenders with good behaviour and those with health problems to mark his accession to the throne.
After being freed from Bangkok Remand Prison, Lt Col Himalai had a meal with family and friends at a reception facility adjacent to the prison, while Maj Thanyathep left the premises immediately in a van with his family.
Lt Col Himalai said he was deeply thankful for the King’s mercy. He also thanked Chuvit for eventually pleading guilty, which he believed contributed to the Supreme Court’s decision to reduce the lower court’s five-year jail sentence for all the defendants.
“Having been released from prison, I will dedicate myself to an educational field. I have a PhD. I can be a teacher and share my knowledge with students and instill virtue,” he said.