Thaksin Shinawatra

The controversial release of the former prime minister has presented the progressive MFP with a political opportunity.

The former Thai leader established a close relationship with Hun Sen during his 15 years in self-exile.

The detained former PM's persecution and rehabilitation have both reflected the use of the country's administrative and legal system for political ends.

The announcement brings an end to a two-decade war between Thaksin Shinawatra and the country's conservative establishment.

Amid claims of preferential treatment, the Department of Corrections says that its refusal to refer to Thaksin Shinawatra as an "inmate" is standard practice.

Residents of Thailand's capital have historically come down on the side of conservatism and reaction. They now loom as a force for reform.

It is widely believed that Thaksin returned out of hope that a new government friendly to him would reduce his sentence, and that he may have made a deal with authorities.

The former leader returned to Thailand in a blaze of publicity last week after more than 15 years in self-exile.

The vote came shortly after former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, the spiritual leader of Srettha's Pheu Thai Party, returned to Thailand after 15 years in self-exile.

The fugitive leader's return reflects the dramatic realignment that has taken place in Thai politics since the general election in May.

The pact between the two parties, which came in second and third in May's general election, could spell an end to Thailand's protracted post-election deadlock.

There are several reasons to think that the fugitive former PM might actually be becoming home.