Thai billionaire and former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has requested a royal pardon, Thai media reported on Thursday.

It comes merely a week following his return home and subsequent imprisonment for convictions of graft and abuse of power. 

Media outlets reported on Thaksin's request, citing the outgoing justice minister. The senior aide to caretaker Justice Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam confirmed the news to the French AFP news agency.

The request must be submitted to the justice minister through the corrections department, before the prime minister considers it. It is then submitted to King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Why is Thaksin in jail?

Former Prime Minister and Pheu Thai party founder Thaksin was ousted in a coup 17 years ago, driving him into self exile.

He returned to Thailand for the first time in 15 years last week, only to be quickly arrested and taken to the Supreme Court, sentencing him to eight years on charges of graft and abuse of power.

His sentence is said to be based on past convictions he had obtained in absentia.

Thaksin had formed the Thai Rak Thai party in 1998, which later came to be known as the now-ruling Pheu Thai party.

Speculations around the timing of his choice to return from exile have risen, with some suspecting that the Pheu Thai party had made a deal with other parties involving a pardon for him. 

Srettha Thavisin, the country's newly-appointed prime minister, is now considered the face of Thaksin's political movement.

rmt/rt (AFP, Reuters)