Thailand's new king will pardon up to 150,000 prisoners in an unprecedented display of mercy, including inmates jailed for insulting the royal family.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn will allow thousands of prisoners to be released or have their sentences shortened, with each case being assessed individually, according to Kobkiat Kasivivat, the country's Deparment of Corrections' director general.

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Those jailed for defaming, insulting, or threatening the king, queen, heir-apparent, or regent, under the Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code, which carries punishment of three up to 15 years in prison, will be considered for parole alongside prisoners convicted of drug offenses.

Those convicted of murder and rape will not be eligible for release or reduced sentences, officials said.

"This is the first opportunity since his majesty's ascension to show his mercy," the royal family said in a statement. "This will provide a chance for these individuals to behave as good citizens."

Thailand's Department for Corrections said there were 321,347 people being held in Thai prisons mid-2016 with about a third of those jailed for drugs-related offenses. Decisions on who will be pardoned will depend on several factors including age, length of sentence, and behavior.

"The inmates will be looked at on a case by case basis at each individual correction facility," permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice, Chanchao Chaiyanukit, told Reuters.

The 2014 Thai coup d'etat saw the largest number of offenders restrained for lèse majesté in the nation's history. The government has not released the number of people jailed for royal insult but there have been over 80 prosecutions under the law in the last two years.

King Vajiralongkorn was proclaimed on Dec. 1 after his father King Bhumibol Adulyadej died in October. The formal transfer of power took place after he accepted an invitation from the National Assembly to become the 10th king of the 234-year-old Chakri Dynasty.

He will not be crowned until 2017 when the 12-month official mourning for his father comes to an end.

TagsThailand, King, Royalty, Vajiralongkorn, prisoners, Bangkok, Bhumibol Adulyadej