Royal pardon reduces Thaksin’s jail term to one year
published : 1 Sep 2023 at 17:34
writer: Gary Boyle
ORIGINAL SOURCE/WRITER: Online Reporters
His Majesty the King has granted a royal pardon to Thaksin Shinawatra, reducing the former prime minister’s combined jail sentence from eight years to one, according to Friday's Royal Gazette.
The pardon, dated Aug 31, was countersigned by caretaker Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
The 74-year-old billionaire inmate formally filed a petition for a royal pardon not long after he returned from 15 years of self-exile abroad on Aug 22.
On the day he returned, the Supreme Court ordered Thaksin jailed for a total of eight years in three cases.
Since his return, Thaksin has served 10 days of his sentence — all but a few hours of it at the Police General Hospital, where he was transferred on health grounds shortly after reporting to the Bangkok Remand Prison on the afternoon of Aug 22.
Officially, he still has seven years, 11 months and 20 days of jail time remaining.
The petition to His Majesty stated that when Thaksin led the government, he made a lot of useful contributions to the country and the people. He was also loyal to the monarchy.
The petition asked that the former leader be pardoned so that he can “use his knowledge, abilities and experience to help and benefit the nation, society and people in the future”.
According the text published in the Royal Gazette, His Majesty acknowledged the petition and granted a royal pardon.
His return to Thailand came on the same day that Srettha Thavisin was elected prime minister in parliament, at the head of a government led by the Pheu Thai Party, which Thaksin founded more than two decades ago.
Vocabulary
- contribution: something that you do that helps to achieve something or to make it successful - ผลงาน,การช่วยเหลือ
- countersign: to sign a document that has already been signed by another person, especially in order to show that it is valid - ลงนามร่วม
- grant: to give - ให้
- grounds: reasons for saying or doing something - เหตุผล
- loyal: firm and not changing in your friendship with or support for a person or an organization, or in your belief in your principles - ซื่อสัตย์
- monarchy (noun): the king or queen of a country and their family - ราชวงศ์, พระบรมวงศานุวงศ์
- pardon: an official decision to forgive someone for committing a crime and to free them from full or further punishment or to have their punishment reduced - การอภัยโทษ
- petition: a document signed by a large number of people demanding or requesting some action from the government or another authority - การถวายฎีกา,การร้องเรียน
- sentence : a punishment given by a court of law - การตัดสินลงโทษ
- supreme court: the highest court in a country - ศาลฎีกา, ศาลสูงสุด
