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Thousands of prisoners freed by His Majesty



A total of 12,000 inmates were released yesterday after being granted Royal Pardons on the occasion of His Majesty the King's 84th birthday.

Prisoner-release ceremonies were held nationwide, with the main one being presided over by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at Bangkok's Klong Prem Central Prison, attended by 2,766 pardoned inmates from 15 prisons in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces. The inmates each received Bt500 pocket money for transport, swore oaths to be good members of society, and were blessed by Buddhist monks before many of them joyously reunited with their families.

Congratulating the inmates on their newfound freedom, Yingluck urged them to be grateful for the King's great mercy and to apply the King's self sufficiency economy philosophy to their everyday lives. She also urged them to turn over a new leaf by living good lives, to have confidence in their ability to live as part of Thai society - which she said was forgiving and openminded - and not to repeat their wrongdoings.

A total of 9,234 inmates were released from prisons upcountry. Among the 145 inmates freed from Loei Prison yesterday was singer Nathan Oman, who was convicted of fraud in March.

Saying he had felt remorse throughout his time in jail and that he appreciated the King's forgiveness and kindness, Nathan said he would live on the straight and narrow from now on. He said he intended to resume his singing career, as the time behind bars had given him focus and had inspired story ideas for songs and books.

Another 10,000 inmates will be released on December 18. Among them is Serm Sakhonrat, a former medical student who murdered and dismembered his girlfriend. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in March 1998 but his prison term was reduced five times. Serm said he was grateful for the monarch's kindness, vowing to be a good person and take care of his 68yearold mother. Serm said he planned to use his law degree, completed in prison, to help the poor after taking the necessary examinations to become a lawyer.

Under the Royal Pardon decree, over 10,000 other convicts will have their sentences reduced within 90 days.

Among those to have their sentences reduced but who were not freed this time are Dr Wisut Boonkasemsanti, a gynaecologist who killed and dismembered his wife, and former deputy police commissioner Chalor Kerdthes, who murdered the wife and son of a Thai jewellery businessman in a case related to the theft of jewels from the Saudi royal family. Both were originally sentenced to death, but their jail terms have been reduced to 21 years and 50 years respectively under this year's Royal Pardon.

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