Thailand's former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra quietly left the country on Thursday, just ahead of a critical court ruling that could send him back to prison, and a parliamentary vote to elect the next prime minister, reports The Guardian.
Flying out on a private jet, Thaksin initially claimed he was headed to Singapore for a medical checkup, but flight tracking later showed the plane diverting toward Dubai, where he previously lived in self-imposed exile. However, Thai police confirmed he had no legal restrictions preventing him from leaving.
His departure sparked intense speculation online, as thousands of people tracked his plane in real time.
Thaksin responded to online speculation by saying he had intended to travel to Singapore for a medical checkup with a doctor he had seen previously while living abroad. "Thai immigration delayed me for nearly two hours," he said, adding that this happened despite having the right to travel.
The delay prevented him from landing at Singapore's Seletar Airport, which is used for private jets, as the airport only operates until 10pm, he said.
"Since I couldn't land in Singapore, I decided to have the pilot change my plans to Dubai. I have long-time orthopaedic and pulmonary doctors in Dubai, and I also had the opportunity to visit friends in Dubai whom I hadn't seen in over two years," Thaksin wrote, saying his pilot had circled in the sky while waiting for permission from the airport in Dubai.
Thaksin previously spent more than 15 years in exile to avoid legal charges, and returned to Thailand only in 2023, after striking an uneasy deal with his old enemies in the military royalist establishment. The deal was mutually beneficial, with the two sides forming a government to keep a popular, youthful pro-reform party out of power.
Thaksin was sentenced to eight years in prison upon his return to Thailand, which was commuted to one year by the king. He spent less than 24 hours in prison after citing health problems, instead staying six months in a VIP hospital wing, before being released on parole.
That arrangement is now the subject of a court case, due to be decided next week. It's possible he could be returned to prison if judges deem that he has not yet adequately served out his sentence.
Thaksin stated he plans to return to Thailand by Monday and will appear in court on Tuesday. Meanwhile, parliament is set to vote on a new prime minister on Friday, with royalist candidate Anutin Charnvirakul expected to face off against the Pheu Thai Party's Chaikasem Nitisiri.
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