The pair were among the first batch of 300 inmates released from Bangkok Remand Prison under an amnesty granted to mark His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s accession to the throne, said prison director Krit Krasaethip.

Since 7am yesterday, relatives and friends – including 30 close aides of Himalai and Thanyathep in uniform and civilian clothes – gathered outside the prison to greet the freed men.

At 9.10am, Himalai and Thanyathep, who were jailed in the same case as former MP Chuwit Kamolvisit, who was freed earlier, emerged from the prison and were collected by two pickup trucks.

Himalai later said he was grateful for His Majesty’s kindness and vowed to devote his life to education as a PhD degree could enable him to embark on a teaching career.

Still maintaining his innocence, Himalai said he would later visit the seniors who helped him all along, including Chuwit whose confession resulted in his sentence being reduced. Himalai and Thanyathep were jailed for five years each by the Appeal Court in 2012.

In the 2003 case, 60 beer bars in Bangkok’s Sukhumvit area were forcibly demolished in defiance of the law.

The amnesty was granted to those selected by each prison’s committee for those with good behaviour who had not been convicted of rape and murder, drug trafficking and public fraud.

It was reported that about 30,000 inmates were eligible for release under the amnesty.