Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was released from prison on parole on Monday, raising the prospect of a return to the spotlight for the political heavyweight. The 76-year-old telecoms billionaire has been serving a one-year prison sentence for corruption since September. He is required to wear an electronic monitor until his probation ends in four months. His hair closely cropped and in a simple white shirt, Thaksin walked out of prison around 7.40am and was immediately surrounded by family members, including his daughter and protege, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was sacked as prime minister by a court order last 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. Thaksin’s political machine has for two decades been a key rival of Thailand’s pro-military, pro-royalty elite who view his populist brand as a threat to the traditional social order. His Pheu Thai party, and its earlier iterations, was the country’s most successful party of the 21st century, with the Shinawatra family producing four prime ministers and drawing widespread support from the rural population.