Famous former television news anchorman Sorayuth Suthassanachinda, paroled after serving jail time for embezzlement, is permitted to host television news programmes but cannot take part in political activities, authorities said on Sunday.
At about 7.40am, Mr Sorayuth was brought in a Corrections Department vehicle from the Bangkok Remand Prison to the 7th Bangkok Probation Office in Lak Si district.
There, Mr Sorayuth was tagged with an electronic monitoring (EM) device before being released into the arms of waiting family members, relatives and close associates.
Probation Department director-general Witthawal Sunthornkachit said Mr Sorayuth is prohibited from entering the vicinity of the prison because he might contact inmates still in detention. He is also forbidden to board flights or leave the Bangkok area without official permission.
Moreover, he is not allowed to take part in political activities such as performing the role of an emcee for a political party.
However, he is permitted to host television news programmes on condition he presents only the facts to the public under journalistic ethics, Mr Witthawal said.
Thanakrit Jit-areerat, secretary to the justice minister, said Mr Sorayuth was not being treated as a VIP prisoner – but an arrangement was made to facilitate his release because he is a public figure well-known to society.
Mr Sorayuth, after being tagged with an EM bracelet, said he was happy to be freed, even if his release comes under certain conditions imposed by the Probation Department.
He said he was able to adjust to his living conditions in detention, but was glad the case against him was over.
When a riot broke out at the Buri Ram Prison after some prisoners were reportedly infected with Covid-19, Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin gave him an opportunity to create a news programme to provide information to inmates.
"After being given the opportunity to run the programme in line with my career, my time in prison ran faster. Now I can start my life over again from the very beginning," Mr Sorayuth said.
With tears in his eyes, Mr Sorayuth said the first thing he would do would be to pay respects to the portrait of his late mother, Mrs Witchuda.
Asked if he might go back to TV news, Mr Sorayuth said he would think about it after being away from the job for over five years.
If he were to return as a news anchor, he would still work for Channel 3, he added.
The Supreme Court on Jan 21, 2020 sentenced Mr Sorayuth to eight years in jail for embezzling 138 million baht in advertising fees from the Mass Communications Organisation of Thailand (MCOT).
His jail time was reduced twice under royal decrees in August and December 2020, cutting his sentence to three years, six months and 20 days. As he had already served one year, two months and six days at that point, his remaining time in jail was two years, four months and 14 days.
That meant he had served more than one-third of his sentence and had less than five years remaining, making him eligible for parole under Section 52 of the Corrections Act of 2017.
He is required to wear the EM bracelet at all times until May 20, 2022. His parole is due to end on July 26, 2023.