Massive royal pardon by new Thai king

By Max Constant

BANGKOK

A massive royal pardon came into effect Monday allowing around 100,000 prisoners, mostly minor offenders and those with health issues, to be released.

The pardon -- granted Sunday by King Maha Vajiralongkorn -- was the “first opportunity since he succeeded the throne to show the king’s mercy,” said a statement published in the royal gazette.

Vajiralongkorn ascended the throne Dec. 1 after his father, revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, died Oct. 13.

The Bangkok Post reported the chief of the corrections department as saying that the pardon will see 30,000 inmates released and 70,000 have their sentences reduced.

“Those qualified are first-grade prisoners or higher. Repeat offenders, rapists, public fraudsters and drug traffickers are not qualified,” said Kobkiat Kasiwat.

Those benefitting include female first time offenders, first time offenders under 20 years old, prisoners who have done at least a third of their jail term, disabled, and blind and seriously ill prisoners.

The pardon also includes people sentenced under the country's harsh lese-majeste law, which punishes those who insult, defame or threaten the king, queen, heir or the regent with a jail term between 3 and 15 years.

Prisoners on death row will see their sentence commuted to a life term, and those serving life will have their sentence commuted to a 50-year term and then be eligible for normal penalty reduction.

Royal pardons were customary during the reign of the late king, particularly during royal birthdays or other royal events, but the number of inmates concerned was generally much lower than Monday's.

The previous royal pardon was granted Aug. 12 to mark the birthday of Queen Sirikit, King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s mother.

Vajiralongkorn, 64 years old, is a much less popular figure than his father, who is celebrated by the vast majority of Thais as the greatest King of the Chakri dynasty, which started in 1782.

Vajiralongkorn, however, divorced three times and is said to be unpredictable.