Reds, a failed star and an activist freed

Beneficiaries of this year's royal pardon are diverse, ranging from red shirt core members, to a failed pop star-turned-con artist, and a prominent environmental activist.

The pardon granted in celebration of His Majesty the King's birthday on Monday resulted in the release of around 30,000 inmates across the country. Of these, 12,000 were freed yesterday and many had emotional reunions with families.

In Bangkok, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra presided over an inmate release ceremony at Khlong Prem Central Prison. Attending the ceremony were 2,766 pardoned inmates from 35 prisons and correctional facilities in Bangkok and nearby provinces.

Those receiving a royal pardon are inmates who displayed good conduct, those convicted of minor offences, inmates with ailments or disabilities, and those under 20 years of age and over 60. Under the decree, jail sentences for some prisoners have also been commuted.

Officials at the Corrections Department said they worked with other public and private organisations in preparing inmates for reintegration into society. The process included education, cultivating morality among inmates, and vocational training.

In Udon Thani, 286 inmates were released. Among them is the red shirt radio host couple, Khachadet and Maneerat Panyathong, and a former politician. 

The couple had been sentenced to one year and six months in jail for violating the government's regulations in the political unrest last year.

The former politician, Thongkham Thathaengthong, had been sentenced to eight months in jail for vote buying during the election of Tambon Moo Mon Administration Council.

In Loei, wannabe pop star Nathan Oman, better known by his stage name of Nathan Oman, was among 145 inmates released from prison. 

He was sentenced to one year in jail on March 14 for swindling more than 700,000 baht from Sitthiphon Khot-udomphon, a dessert seller in Loei's Chiang Khan district.

In Prachuap Khiri Khan, Jintana Kaewkhao, the leader of the Ban Krut Conservation Group, was among 235 inmates released from Prachuap Khiri Khan Provincial Prison yesterday. 

She was sentenced to four months in jail on Oct 11 for trespassing on the premises of a power plant in 2001. She was also charged for throwing garbage on tables during a banquet hosted by the company.