Ammon News - Thailand's former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was released early from prison on Monday, raising the prospect of a return to the spotlight for the political heavyweight.

The 76-year-old telecoms billionaire served eight months of a one-year prison sentence for corruption and will be required to wear an electronic monitor during his four-month probation period.

Thaksin, who will be on probation until September, has other pending criminal cases against him, which could dissuade him from making rousing speeches and risking further prosecution, analysts say.

"I went into hibernation for eight months," Thaksin told reporters from a rear window of his car outside his home in the capital, adding that he felt "relief" after his release.

The former premier was fitted with an electronic monitor at a Bangkok probation office on Monday morning, and will not be allowed to travel outside of the capital without permission, the corrections department said in a statement.

The corrections department announced Thaksin's parole last month, citing his age and the fact that he had less than a year left to serve as reasons for early release.

Thaksin was jailed after the Supreme Court ruled last year that he improperly served a 2023 sentence in a hospital suite rather than a prison cell.

AFP