Pheu Thai Party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra says she hopes her father, convicted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, will be released on parole on Feb 18.
She made the remarks after a source at the Department of Corrections (DoC) said the DoC had recently compiled a list of eligible inmates for parole and special parole, with Thaksin meeting the criteria for the latter.
However, she said she did not know if her father would be on the list.
Special parole can be granted to inmates who are either over 70 or who are suffering from a critical illness or disability after they have served one-third of their sentence.
The list of inmates eligible for parole will be sent to the justice minister for consideration, the source said.
Ms Paetongtarn said on Friday the justice minister had not informed her of the matter yet.
She also said that the Shinawatra family's Ban Chan Song La residence on Soi Charan Sanitwong 69 has been prepared to welcome Thaksin back home since he returned to Thailand.
"The family has to wait and see if he meets the criteria. But we expect him to be released [on parole]. I admit that my excitement is growing as Feb 18 approaches," she said.
After 15 years of self-imposed exile, Thaksin returned to Thailand on Aug 22, 2023. The Supreme Court handed him an eight-year jail term for his previous and finalised legal cases. That sentence was later reduced to one year by royal clemency.
On the first night at Bangkok Remand Prison, doctors at the DoC determined he should be transferred to the Police General Hospital because of his allegedly serious illnesses.
Justice Minister Pol Col Tawee Sodsong said on Friday that the list is expected to reach the Justice Ministry on Monday.
However, Thaksin still faces a criminal charge of lese majeste dating back to 2016, and the attorney-general will decide if he will be indicted, Prayut Phetcharakhun, a spokesman for the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG), said on Friday.
Thaksin was alleged to have defamed the monarchy in comments made while on a trip to Seoul, South Korea, on May 21, 2015.