Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra posted on X on the morning of 5/9 that he had planned to go to Singapore for a medical checkup with a doctor who had previously treated him. However, his travel plans changed due to his departure being delayed by almost two hours by Thai immigration officials.
Thaksin's pilot then informed him that his plane could not land at Seletar Airport, Singapore's private jet airport, because it had closed. Thaksin then directed the pilot to divert to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he has also been under medical care for several years.
The former prime minister's private Bombardier Global 7500 jet had to circle for an extended period while awaiting clearance to land in Dubai.
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Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in Bangkok on 9/7. Photo: AFP |
Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in Bangkok on 9/7. Photo: AFP
Thaksin had promised to return to Thailand before 8/9 and appear before the Supreme Court for a ruling on 9/9. He faces court proceedings related to his treatment at the Police General Hospital in Bangkok from 2023-2024, instead of serving time in prison.
Thaksin, 76, served as prime minister of Thailand from 2001 but was ousted in a 2006 military coup. He returned to Thailand in August 2023 after more than a decade in exile and was immediately arrested.
The former prime minister was sentenced to eight years in prison for abuse of power, but his sentence was commuted to one year, equivalent to the time he spent in the hospital. The Thai Supreme Court will rule on whether his hospitalization counts towards his sentence.
Thaksin's daughter, Paetongtarn, was removed from her position as prime minister in late August for violating civil service ethics rules during a call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen. The Thai House of Representatives held a vote today to elect a new prime minister. The two candidates are Bhumjaithai Party leader, 58-year-old Anutin Charnvirakul, and 77-year-old Chaikasem Nitisiri, representing Pheu Thai, the party with long-standing ties to the Shinawatra family.
Ngoc Anh (Bangkok Post, Thai PBS, Thai Nation)
