Thaksin was elected prime minister in 2001 and again in 2005, and took himself into exile after his second term was cut short by a military coup.
After returning in August 2023, he was sentenced to eight years for corruption and abuse of power.
But he never spent a night in a cell. Whisked to a private room in hospital, his sentence was reduced to one year by royal pardon, before he was freed as part of an early release scheme for elderly prisoners.
His lawyer Winyat Chatmontree said it is “not time” for him to submit an application for Thaksin to serve his current sentence outside prison.
“There must be a period of prison time, according to the regulations, before it could be taken into consideration,” he told reporters.
He said Thaksin had not sought any preferential treatment, including security arrangements, and “has no special room” in the jail.
Source: CNA
