Former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra being escorted into a police van outside the Supreme Court in Bangkok on Sept 9. - Photo: AFP
BANGKOK: Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra appears to have adapted to life behind bars, as he was seen sleeping well on his second night at Klong Prem Central Prison and did not skip any meals, according to a well-informed source.
Once one of Thailand’s richest and most powerful men, Thaksin was ordered on Tuesday (Sept 9) to serve a year in jail by the Supreme Court, which determined that the billionaire had wrongfully spent time in a hospital in lieu of prison.
A source from the Department of Corrections said that close monitoring revealed Thaksin slept soundly on his second night without appearing restless.
The source added that he did not show signs of tension or depression and cooperated with prison officials, behaving according to their advice.
The source also revealed that the prison had assigned inmates with exemplary behaviour to act as “babysitters” for Thaksin, in the light of concerns about his safety.
These babysitters have received training in first aid and other tasks within the prison.
As Thaksin is considered an economic expert, some have suggested that Klong Prem prison could send him out for public service activities, such as academic events at book fairs.
However, the source explained that before an inmate is sent out for public service, the prison must submit a project for approval by the Department of Corrections.
The source cited the example of singer Seksan Sukpimai (Sek Loso), who has been allowed to perform concerts outside prison for public service.
The source mentioned that the possibility of Thaksin being released on parole before completing his one-year term would depend on his behaviour behind bars.
Inmates may be eligible for parole if they exhibit excellent, very good, or good behaviour. The criteria for parole eligibility are as follows:
Inmates with excellent behaviour: Must have no more than ⅓ of their sentence remaining (for Thaksin, this would be four months).
Inmates with very good behaviour: Must have no more than ¼ of their sentence remaining (for Thaksin, this would be three months).
Inmates with good behaviour: Must have no more than one-fifth of their sentence remaining (for Thaksin, this would be two months and 15 days).
The source noted that Thaksin was initially classified as having moderate behaviour when he began his sentence. His classification would be reviewed in December based on his behaviour.
The source also indicated that Thaksin might be eligible for parole under special criteria, given his age (over 70 years old) and possible health issues. In such cases, Thaksin would need to have served at least half of his sentence (six months).
The source explained that, under general parole criteria, a parole consideration committee from the prison would submit its opinion to the prison chief, who would then refer it to the director-general of the Department of Corrections for final consideration.
If the department agrees, the decision would be sent to a committee for approval. For special parole cases, the justice minister’s approval is required. - The Nation/ANN
