Thaksin amnesty petition awaits review

Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has applied for amnesty under the new Amnesty Act. His lawyer said he is seeking to clear his name to spend his old age out of politics. 

Thaksin’s lawyer, Winyat Chatmontree, said Thaksin authorised him to file a petition on his behalf on 8 October through the joint service center of the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office. The petition requested the Committee on Promoting a Peaceful Society to rule whether he is eligible for amnesty under the new amnesty law for political participation, formally called the Promotion of a Peaceful Society Act. Winyat said Thaksin is seeking to clear his name and that he does not wish to be involved in politics as he is getting older. 

Thaksin is seeking amnesty for several corruption and misconduct charges filed against him for the 4-billion-Baht EXIM Bank loan, the two- and three-digit lottery project, the Shin Satellite concession modifications, and the 46-billion-Baht asset seizure. Amnesty would expunge his criminal records, and relieve him from all legal liabilities resulting from previous convictions. On 14 October, Winyat told The Nation that the petition covers cases he described as politically motivated and does not include the royal defamation charge for which Thaksin was acquitted in August 2025 and prosecutors have since appealed. He acknowledged that critics argue Thaksin’s convictions may fall within the law’s exclusions, particularly those covering corruption and misconduct, but stressed that filing a petition does not automatically entitle him to amnesty.

Piyasiri Wattanavrangkul, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, said on 26 October that the Committee on Promoting a Peaceful Society will consider Thaksin’s petition during its meeting in November. As chair of the screening subcommittee, Piyasiri said that he would convene a meeting as soon as possible once the subcommittee received his petition.

Thaksin’s petition drew some criticism, including from Pheu Thai MP Jakrapob Penkair, who argued that Thaksin should delay his petition as he is a politically controversial figure and seeking amnesty may cause problems as it did in the past. The Amnesty Act should be politically neutral, Jakrapob said, and leading figures should wait to seek amnesty. Meanwhile, former Red Shirt leader Nattawut Saikua defended Thaksin’s petition. He said that everyone has a right to apply for amnesty and it would be up to the Committee to decide, noting that Thaksin has completed his prison sentence.

According to Thai Enquirer’s 2 November report, an unofficial assessment given to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul indicated that Thaksin does not qualify for amnesty as his four convictions are all for corruption and abuse of power. The assessment says that Section 7 of the Act is meant for people who took part in political demonstrations or expressed political opinions and Thaksin is likely to face legal barriers during the screening process as corruption cases are excluded from the Act.

Pheu Thai leader Julapun Amornvivat has denied any deal granting amnesty to Thaksin in exchange for Pheu Thai's support for the Prime Minister and several Bhumjaithai ministers in the upcoming no-confidence vote scheduled for 7 - 11 December. He said that it is not necessary to make such a deal as Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai are stable coalition partners and that the government is not involved in deciding whether to grant amnesty.

Chatchai Bangchuad, Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office and secretary to the Committee on Promoting a Peaceful Society, told The Standard that the Committee will meet next week, but is unlikely to discuss Thaksin’s petition as it has not been screened by the subcommittee.

What the law covers, and what it leaves out

The Peaceful Society Promotion Act took effect on 24 August. It provides amnesty for political assembly and political expression offences committed between 1 January 2005 and 16 July 2025. It excludes corruption and misconduct offences, royal defamation, and other charges involving death or grievous bodily harm, as well as offences against private persons. The Committee on Promoting a Peaceful Society, a nine-person committee chaired by the Prime Minister, decides who qualifies for amnesty.

The exclusion of royal defamation has been one of the law’s most controversial provisions, as many of those charged are young activists from the 2020 pro-democracy movement. Critics of the amnesty law argued that leaving out those charged with royal defamation means the majority of political prisoners and activists facing prosecution are not qualified for amnesty, which limits the law’s ability to heal political divisions.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said in a 4 November update that courts have dismissed some cases that qualify for amnesty. 9 detainees were released, while at least 5 individuals were allowed to take off their monitoring devices. It noted, however, that the process tends to be slow in cases that are being considered by the Appeal Court or the Supreme Court.

At least 52 people are currently detained on charges relating to protests or political expression. Of this number, 34 are detained for royal defamation, 13 of whom are detained pending trial or appeal. Many detainees have been repeatedly denied bail.