21-2-2024 (BANGKOK) Cambodia’s Supreme Privy Council President, Hun Sen, paid a visit to his long-time friend Thaksin Shinawatra, former Prime Minister of Thailand, at Thaksin’s residence in Bangkok on Wednesday morning. The visit, shrouded in tight security, comes amid personal concerns for Thaksin’s health.
Hun Sen, the former Cambodian Prime Minister, shared the news of his visit on his Samdech Hun Sen of Cambodia Facebook page. The post included two photos of him aboard a plane, en route to Bangkok.
Arriving at Don Mueang airport on Wednesday morning, Hun Sen was transported in a Mercedes Benz to Thaksin’s residence in Bang Phlat district, Ban Chan Song La.
Pheu Thai Party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksin’s youngest daughter, also made her way to the house. Security measures were significantly heightened during Hun Sen’s visit, with reporters positioned outside the residence but denied entry.
Thaksin, 74, and Hun Sen, 71, have cultivated a robust friendship over many years in power. The visit by the Cambodian leader is believed to be driven by a personal concern for Thaksin’s well-being.
Thaksin was released on parole from prison on Sunday, having served half of a one-year sentence, reduced from eight years through royal clemency. The charges against him were related to conflict of interest and abuse of power during his tenure before 2006. Throughout the six months of his sentence, Thaksin remained in the Police Hospital in Bangkok.
