Convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra left Police General Hospital and returned to his residence on Charan Sanitwong 69 Road in Bang Phlat district after more than 15 years of absence as he was paroled on Sunday.

Thaksin, 74, was discharged from Police General Hospital early Sunday morning. He had stayed there for for six months, ostensibly due to life-threatening illnesses, after he returned to the country on the morning of Aug 22, 2023.

According to authorities, he met the criteria for parole because he is over 70 years old, is seriously ill and is considered to have served at least six months of his jail term despite being admitted to Police General Hospital.

Thaksin – wearing neck and arm braces – left the hospital with his children in a van at 6.09am on Sunday. Hundreds of reporters saw a van arriving at his residence at 6.33am.

After his return to the country on Aug 22, 2023, Thaksin was brought to the Supreme Court, which sentenced him to eight years in jail in three cases.

He was then taken to the Bangkok Remand Prison, but late that night – or early the next morning –  corrections officials moved him to Police General Hospital.

While being prosecuted in many cases over 15 years ago, Thaksin sought court permission to leave the country on July 31, 2008, in order to give special lectures in Japan and attend the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Beijing.

He did not return to the country as promised.