On December 2, authorities from the Bangkok Probation Office 7 visited the Ratchathan Correctional Hospital at 8:30 AM to place an electronic monitoring (EM) device on Mr. Boonsong Teriyapirom, former Minister of Commerce. Boonsong, aged 64, was granted a royal pardon and met the conditions for parole on this day.
At 10:00 AM, Boonsong left the hospital, informing probation officials of his intention to transfer his supervision to Chiang Mai Province. He plans to travel there on December 3 and report to the Chiang Mai Probation Office on December 4.
Boonsong, a former close ally of Yaowapa Wongsawat, a senior figure in the Pheu Thai Party, previously held roles as Minister of Commerce and Deputy Minister of Finance during Yingluck Shinawatra's administration. His tenure was marred by corruption allegations, particularly in the government-to-government (G2G) rice trading scheme under the rice pledging program.
In August 2017, the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions sentenced Boonsong to 42 years in prison for his role in the G2G rice scandal. The sentence was later extended to 48 years following additional charges. Through royal pardons granted in 2021, his sentence was reduced to 10 years, with his release date initially set for April 21, 2028. As a top-grade inmate, he became eligible for parole under specific conditions and will remain under probation supervision for 3 years and 5 months.
Boonsong's case remains one of the most high-profile examples of corruption in Thai politics, reflecting both the political and legal complexities surrounding such allegations.