Thailand's former PM Thaksin Shinawatra released from prison
His hair closely cropped and in a simple white shirt, Thaksin walked out of prison around 7:40 a.m. local time (0040 GMT) and was immediately surrounded by family members, including his daughter and protégé, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was sacked as prime minister by a court order last August, weeks before his incarceration.