More than 100,000 inmates serving time in jails nationwide will be released early or see their sentences reduced on Saturday under a royal decree to mark His Majesty the King's 70th birthday on July 28 and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother's 90th birthday on Friday.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has signed a formal order to create an independent committee looking into the Department of Corrections' criteria for selecting who will receive reduced prison terms via royal pardon.
An independent committee has been formed to probe a controversial effort to reduce jail terms for those convicted in corruption cases in an apparent bid to calm a public outcry over the issue.