Bangkok, Sep 5 (AP) Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra unexpectedly left the country on Thursday, just five days before a court ruling that could potentially land him a new prison sentence.
His departure came shortly after the Constitutional Court dismissed his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, from her role as prime minister. She was found guilty by the court of an ethics violation related to a politically sensitive phone call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen.
With Parliament set to vote on a new prime minister on Friday, many view this as a potential end to the significant political influence that Thaksin's camp has held for over two decades. Over the years, Thaksin has faced various legal challenges threatening prison time, yet he has managed to avoid serving any sentence thus far.
Thaksin informed Thai immigration officials at Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport that his private jet was bound for Singapore. The police confirmed that there were no warrants or court orders preventing his departure, allowing his plane to take off shortly after 7 pm.
However, flight-tracking data examined by The Associated Press revealed that his private jet, a Bombardier BD-700, initially headed south to Singapore before veering west, performing two circles, and then heading toward India.
Thaksin later disclosed on X (formerly Twitter) that he had intended to go to Singapore for a medical checkup. However, Thai immigration reportedly delayed him, and his pilot advised that they wouldn't reach Seletar Airport before its 10 pm closing time. Consequently, Thaksin opted to change course to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
During his self-imposed exile beginning in 2008, Thaksin resided in Dubai, noting in his post that he continues to consult physicians there regularly.
His timely travel has led to heightened speculation regarding another potential escape from a looming jail term. Despite this, Thaksin indicated that he plans to return to Thailand to attend the court hearing in person on Tuesday.
Thaksin served as the prime minister from 2001 until a 2006 military coup ousted him during his international travels. In 2008, he briefly returned to Thailand but soon departed again, evading a court verdict regarding a corruption scandal.
Amid accusations of corruption and disrespecting Thailand’s monarchy, he was removed from office. Returning to Thailand in 2023, he began an eight-year sentence for cases tied to graft and abuse of power.
Thaksin was accommodated in a suite at Bangkok's Police General Hospital instead of standard prison confinement, allegedly due to medical reasons. His sentence was commuted to one year by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, and he secured release on parole within six months.
This manner of detention raised questions about potential preferential treatment. The Supreme Court's Tuesday ruling will decide on the legality of the Corrections Department's management of his case.
While the court's investigation scope remains broad, Thaksin may or may not face liability for any potential wrongdoing by the Corrections Department. If implicated, he could face charges leading to a new sentence.
Post-office, Thaksin encountered numerous lawsuits and criminal indictments, which he argues were politically driven. Recently, a criminal court cleared him of royal defamation, an offense known as lèse-majesté, which carried a possible 15-year sentence.
Meanwhile, Thaksin's sister Yingluck Shinawatra, another former prime minister ousted from office, resides in Dubai after fleeing Thailand in 2017 before a de dereliction of duty verdict, for which she was later convicted in absentia.
Dubai, famed for being the largest UAE city and home to iconic structures and a luxurious nightlife, has drawn other political figures facing homegrown challenges, such as the late Pakistani Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who led a 1999 coup in Pakistan and later allied with the US in the Afghan conflict.
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