Thailand ’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra , whose 21st-century political odyssey sharply divided Thai society for decades, was released from a Bangkok prison on Monday after serving eight months of a one-year sentence for a corruption-related charge. A crowd of about 300 supporters and political allies gathered outside the Klong Prem Central Prison to greet the 76-year-old billionaire populist. Mr Thaksin was a telecommunications magnate who founded his own political party in 1998 and served as prime minister from 2001 until a military coup ousted him in 2006 while he was abroad. His ouster triggered about two decades of deep and sometimes violent political polarization, while his political machine staged several comebacks even as Mr Thaksin himself stayed in self-imposed exile to escape what he said was political persecution through the courts. His three children, including former prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, and other family members also arrived early to welcome him.…