19-8-2023 (BANGKOK) The Royal Thai Police, in collaboration with relevant agencies, convened on Friday to make necessary arrangements for the highly awaited homecoming of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is expected to arrive early next week.
Assistant Police Chief Pol Lt Gen Prachuap Wongsuk spearheaded the meeting, which included representatives from various agencies such as the Corrections Department, the Immigration Bureau, and the Metropolitan Police Bureau. The purpose of the gathering was to ensure a smooth and secure return for Thaksin.
According to insider information, the fugitive former prime minister is likely to touch down at Don Mueang Airport via a private aircraft, with Monday or Tuesday being the probable arrival dates.
Coinciding with Thaksin’s planned return is the scheduled prime ministerial vote on August 22. Pheu Thai, which is currently forming a coalition, intends to nominate former real estate mogul Srettha Thavisin for the top political position.
Jatuporn Prompan, former chairman of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship and a vocal critic of Thaksin, dismissed the latest speculations surrounding Thaksin’s return after his 17-year-long self-imposed exile. “While I would certainly welcome his return to address national issues, given the current political climate, the timing seems questionable,” he remarked.
Anusorn Iamsa-ard, a Pheu Thai list-MP, emphasized that Thaksin’s comeback is unrelated to the formation of the government coalition. He stated that the former prime minister has the freedom to return whenever he deems it suitable.
Thaksin fled Thailand in 2008, just prior to his conviction by the Supreme Court for assisting his then-wife, Khunying Potjaman Na Pombejra, in the acquisition of discounted prime land in the Ratchadaphisek area during his tenure as prime minister.
Thaksin took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to reveal that he had initially planned to return to Thailand by August 10. However, the need for a medical checkup has caused a two-week delay in his arrival.
Meanwhile, Thaksin’s daughter, Paetongtarn, who is a prime ministerial candidate for the Pheu Thai Party, flew to Dubai earlier this week to accompany her father to an ophthalmologist. Thaksin currently faces 10-year prison sentences in three cases where he was convicted in absentia by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.
