The king cut the sentence of 74-year-old Thaksin from eight years down to one, only a week after the former prime minister returned from more than 15 years of self-exile. The multibillionaire arrived in Bangkok the same day his party, Pheu Thai, took office after successfully forming a coalition with its decades-long military-royalist opponents.

The King's move is likely the most impactful one for the people after he assumed the throne in 2016 following the death of his father, the much-revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, earlier that year. The ruling king’s initiative will strengthen efforts to restore his reputation and power.

Thaksin, a former prime minister for two terms, now can enjoy full freedom following the royal parole. He was allowed to return to his home in Bangkok last week and is expected to be much less critical of the military and the monarch.

People in the region should welcome the new development, knowing Thailand's influence in ASEAN and particularly in neighbors across the Mekong region like Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. For decades, Thailand has been considered a role model in the region, especially in the development of agriculture, tourism and foreign investment.

Thaksin’s release on parole shows Thailand has set an example for ASEAN neighbors about the absolute necessity to adopt an inclusive and democratic system of government. The military regime in Myanmar is known to have looked up to the Thai military for decades, but unlike the Thai military, the military junta in Myanmar has a penchant for using power to satisfy its interests.

As one of the ASEAN cofounders, Thailand has played a vital role in transforming ASEAN into one of the world's most dynamic and respected regional organizations. Bangkok's consistent engagement with Myanmar has made the country a, if not the most, trusted friend of Myanmar for decades.

The royal monarch's wisdom of reconciliation will have a far-reaching impact on the national reunification, although it may not please all elements of society, especially anti-Thaksin groups and individuals.

But the King has made the right decision for the sake of the people, and we believe that the royal monarch will continue to exercise his influence and moral power to ensure national reconciliation and long-lasting peace in the country.

The Move Forward Party (MFP), which won last May's election but failed to secure enough support to form a government, said it was undeniable Thaksin had received unfair treatment in the past, but providing justice to him "should not be in a way that emphasizes double standards […] or gives certain individuals privileges above the law."

New Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin of the Pheu Thai Party and Thaksin's apprentice insisted that his boss "had already served his jail time" – although many suspected that the former owner of Manchester City never spent a minute in his cell during his formal six months of imprisonment.

The controversial billionaire, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup, was jailed for eight years on graft and abuse-of-power charges after he arrived in Thailand last August.

If the king’s decision to give parole to Thaksin constitutes justice, 252 people, including children, who have been charged under the lèse-majesté law for demanding monarchy reforms in street demonstrations in July 2020 deserve the same treatment. The king, for his part, intends to soften "rubber" articles in the law, but more progress is needed.

The king’s wisdom to reconcile the nation, which has been mired by tensions between supporters of Thaksin on one side and the military and the monarch on the other side, will hopefully bring peace and stability to the region and beyond.