Thai ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra granted royal pardon to mark queen’s birthday

Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has met the conditions for a royal pardon as part of clemency measure marking the queen’s birthday, the justice minister said on Wednesday.Thaksin, 76, served eight months of a one-year sentence for corruption and abuse of power before he was released on parole last month due to his age.The Department of Corrections said the ex-leader was required to wear an electronic monitoring device as a condition of his release.Justice Minister Rutthapon Naowarat said on Wednesday that Thaksin was among those eligible for the latest royal clemency measure.“He is on the list,” Rutthapon told reporters at a royal ceremony.“He had less than one year remaining of his sentence.”