prison on parole after serving part of a one-year jail sentence for corruption and abuse of power.
Shinawatra spent about eight months behind bars following a court ruling that deemed he had wrongfully stayed in hospital to avoid jail time.
The 76-year-old dominated Thai politics for a quarter-century, but his influence has waned of late following his jailing and his once formidable Pheu Thai Party's worst election performance on record earlier this year.
His hair closely cropped and in a simple white shirt, Thaksin walked out of prison around 7:40am on Monday local time and was immediately surrounded by family members, including his daughter and protégé, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was sacked as prime minister by a court order in August, weeks before his incarceration.
Hundreds of supporters who had thronged outside Bangkok's Klong Prem Central Prison since the early hours of Monday chanted "we love Thaksin" as he greeted them on his release, having served about two-thirds of his sentence before being paroled.
After 15 years in self-exile, Thaksin returned to Thailand in 2023 to face an eight-year sentence for conflicts of interest and abuse of power while prime minister from 2001-2006 that had been commuted to one year by the king.
But he was in prison for only a few hours following his homecoming, complaining of heart trouble and chest pains, then spent six months in the VIP wing of a hospital until he was freed on parole.
In September, the Supreme Court ruled Thaksin must serve that time in prison, concluding he and his doctors had intentionally prolonged his hospital stay with minor surgeries that were unnecessary.
He is required to wear an electronic ankle monitor for the remainder of his sentence, according to the corrections department.
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