'Yingluck did not flee UK; Dubai flight was pre-planned'

[webfact]

'Yingluck did not flee UK; Dubai flight was pre-planned'

By THE NATION

 

Yingluck Shinawatra

 

FORMER PRIME minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s flight from London to Dubai on Wednesday had nothing to do with the Thai government’s extradition request to the United Kingdom, a Pheu Thai Party source said yesterday.

 

The flight was part of Yingluck’s travel plans for this year, said the source who requested anonymity.

 

“It’s normal for Thaksin [Shinawatra] and Yingluck to fly to Dubai. All their itineraries were set long in advance,” said the source, a senior Pheu Thai figure. 

 

The source effectively dismissed media reports suggesting that the former PM had hurriedly left London after the Thai authorities formally requested their UK counterparts to extradite her so that she could serve her prison term.

 

Yingluck reportedly left London on Wednesday, just a day after the media reported the Thai government’s extradition request.

 

The Thai Embassy in London, acting upon instructions from the government in Bangkok, sent a letter dated July 5 to the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office. It cited a 1911 treaty between the United Kingdom and Siam – as Thailand was known at the time – on the extradition of fugitive criminals.

 

Attached to the letter were copies of a verdict by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders in a case against Yingluck, along with her arrest warrant.

 

A copy of the Thai Embassy’s letter was published on the BBC Thai news website on Tuesday.

 

The Pheu Thai source yesterday said that the UK was unlikely to extradite Yingluck, as the case against her was political and even the court’s name had the word “political”. Even if Yingluck were arrested in the UK, a court battle against the extradition request would take at least two to three years, the source added.

 

The source also said that after Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Yingluck was scheduled to fly to Hong Kong and China. Former PM Thaksin planned to travel to Switzerland, the United States and Britain, the source added, but did not give further details about the siblings’ itineraries.

 

“Thaksin has his business in many countries and he has to travel all the time. Yingluck often joins him for the trips. Thaksin wants to teach her about doing business,” the source said.

 

Thaksin has purchased a house in England for Yingluck, his youngest sister for “many million pounds” for her to stay while there, according to another Pheu Thai source.

 

Yingluck fled Thailand in August last year, just a few days before the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders was scheduled to deliver a verdict in the case against her. In September, the court sentenced her to five years in jail for malfeasance in connection with her government’s corruption-plagued rice-pledging scheme.

 

For the past months, photos and video clips of Yingluck at different locations in London were distributed on social media. One video clip showed Yingluck with Thaksin and some Pheu Thai politicians celebrating his birthday in London last week.

 

Thaksin also has been living in self-exile overseas, escaping imprisonment at home after being convicted for abuse of power. He was charged after his government was deposed in a 2006 military coup.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30351332

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-08-03

[Get Real]

Can´t care less, anybody?

[ukrules]

I suspect that if they were going to arrest her then she wouldn't have been allowed to leave the country.

 

I guess absolute proof of this will be if she returns to the UK at some point in the future.

[leeneeds]

In the pursuit of happiness,

retail therapy will alleviate any stress at this particular juncture in time for her

[Samui Bodoh]

When are they going to stop this nonsense?

 

The only way that Yingluck (or Thaksin) is going to return to Thailand is if it is voluntarily. Period.

 

The chances of Yingluck being extradited by the British government are nil. She is a former Prime Minister who was ousted by military coup makers, and people in that situation simply are not extradited. It does not happen. Further, in order to have a legal and legitimate extradition, the British government would have to recognize the "crime", and they do not and will not. Finally, the UK government is not unaware of the Thai "legal" system and all of the problems and issues associated with it; there are Thai specialists at the Foreign office, there are Thai specialists at universities, etc and they would all be consulted if the case ever went through to a hearing. And, Thailand would NOT like that. Unquestionably, the Thai legal system would be judged as 'substandard' and one that does not meet international norms. Oh, by the way, Yingluck can afford the best lawyers in all the UK; what lawyer would serve the Thai government in this?

 

This is just headline making noise on the part of the Junta trying to discredit the Shins. And, it is likely to fail badly. Anyone who already does not like the Shins will continue to not like them, all others will see a failed attempt to bully an accomplished, beautiful, young lady.

 

Sleep well, Yingluck! And send a few pictures now and then...

 

Edited August 2, 2018 by Samui Bodoh
Lack of coffee

[4MyEgo]

She is on extended leave without pay, what is wrong with people, she will be back when she is de-stressed and there is a democratically elected government that quashes her ridiculous conviction and free's her jailed ministers.

 

Give me a break ?

Edited August 2, 2018 by 4MyEgo

[DoctorG]

This would be an amusing (well to me anyway) scenario.

She is flying somewhere and her flight has an emergency that requires them to land unscheduled at BKK.

What do the Thai authorities do?

Do they arrest her, even though they do not want to, or do they quietly put her back on the plane and send her on her way without making any announcement?

[BobbyL]

3 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

 

 

Sleep well, Yingluck! And send a few pictures now and then...

 

Forward them to me too ?

[tifino]

21 minutes ago, DoctorG said:

This would be an amusing (well to me anyway) scenario.

She is flying somewhere and her flight has an emergency that requires them to land unscheduled at BKK.

What do the Thai authorities do?

Do they arrest her, even though they do not want to, or do they quietly put her back on the plane and send her on her way without making any announcement?

I'm thiking more about the possibility of boarding a 'plane, that has a Code-Sharing arrangement!      

BA*** QF*** TH*** etc  

Edited August 3, 2018 by tifino

[lanista]

The Shinawatra family will return in their own good time. They certainly wont return with army thugs  still running the country not to mention the laughable court system.

Yingluck  or Thaksin would slaughter Prayuth in a democratic election.  I dont think any other  party has won an election outright since the Shinawtras went into politics around 2000.

[fullcave]

If they want her back so bad why did they let her "escape" in the first place? 

[Darkside Gray]

If the junta is so afraid of the Thaksin's why do they keep bringing them to the public eye  all the time, surely if the are so afraid they would keep quiet and let them fade away.

[outsider]

The more the junta tries, there stupider they look. It increases the boldness of the line under the word 'stupid'. Why don't they seem to understand this?

[AGareth2]

Have a good trip

[1337markus]

Obviously they have NOTHING news worthy. Who cares about her, thats history.

[Development at Khaoyai]

Samui Bodoh, you are so right!

[Snow Leopard]

There is no way she would be extradited from the UK. They can afford a team of great lawyers who would tie this up in the British court and legal system for years. The fear of persecution by a military government would probably be enough for a judge to deny the request for sure anyway. 

[anon467367354]

she didn't flee, she had a previously scheduled appointment and a plane to catch rather than show up in court. Okay, I'm sure that's sufficient.

[AsiaHand]

I bet that she wont be coming back anytime soon.

[lord john]

4 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

When are they going to stop this nonsense?

 

The only way that Yingluck (or Thaksin) is going to return to Thailand is if it is voluntarily. Period.

 

The chances of Yingluck being extradited by the British government are nil. She is a former Prime Minister who was ousted by military coup makers, and people in that situation simply are not extradited. It does not happen. Further, in order to have a legal and legitimate extradition, the British government would have to recognize the "crime", and they do not and will not. Finally, the UK government is not unaware of the Thai "legal" system and all of the problems and issues associated with it; there are Thai specialists at the Foreign office, there are Thai specialists at universities, etc and they would all be consulted if the case ever went through to a hearing. And, Thailand would NOT like that. Unquestionably, the Thai legal system would be judged as 'substandard' and one that does not meet international norms. Oh, by the way, Yingluck can afford the best lawyers in all the UK; what lawyer would serve the Thai government in this?

 

This is just headline making noise on the part of the Junta trying to discredit the Shins. And, it is likely to fail badly. Anyone who already does not like the Shins will continue to not like them, all others will see a failed attempt to bully an accomplished, beautiful, young lady.

 

Sleep well, Yingluck! And send a few pictures now and then...

 

 

[Becker]

1 hour ago, DoctorG said:

This would be an amusing (well to me anyway) scenario.

She is flying somewhere and her flight has an emergency that requires them to land unscheduled at BKK.

What do the Thai authorities do?

Do they arrest her, even though they do not want to, or do they quietly put her back on the plane and send her on her way without making any announcement?

Well, they let her go in the first place so my money is on the latter.

[hobobo]

4 hours ago, ukrules said:

I suspect that if they were going to arrest her then she wouldn't have been allowed to leave the country.

 

I guess absolute proof of this will be if she returns to the UK at some point in the future.

I suspect that she will return to the UK, and fairly soon. The Shinawatras, like many exiled or self-exiled elites from a number of countries use Dubai for family reunions and shopping. It won't be long before that private jet will be landing at Heathrow.

[alant]

1 hour ago, 4MyEgo said:

there is a democratically elected government

how will that happen?

[Becker]

47 minutes ago, 1337markus said:

Obviously they have NOTHING news worthy. Who cares about her, thats history.

The junta (and I suspect a large part of the population) disagrees with you.

[Mickmouse1]

Of course everything was planned in advance. Have SAFE TRIPS .Oh why not publish the entire year's itinerary to quell any future speculations?

[lord john]

Such a waste of time and money, which would be better spent on properly serving the needy majority of Thai people. 

The UK government would never release anybody to a military junta. No way in a million years will that happen.

[British Bulldog]

4 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

When are they going to stop this nonsense?

 

The only way that Yingluck (or Thaksin) is going to return to Thailand is if it is voluntarily. Period.

 

The chances of Yingluck being extradited by the British government are nil. She is a former Prime Minister who was ousted by military coup makers, and people in that situation simply are not extradited. It does not happen. Further, in order to have a legal and legitimate extradition, the British government would have to recognize the "crime", and they do not and will not. Finally, the UK government is not unaware of the Thai "legal" system and all of the problems and issues associated with it; there are Thai specialists at the Foreign office, there are Thai specialists at universities, etc and they would all be consulted if the case ever went through to a hearing. And, Thailand would NOT like that. Unquestionably, the Thai legal system would be judged as 'substandard' and one that does not meet international norms. Oh, by the way, Yingluck can afford the best lawyers in all the UK; what lawyer would serve the Thai government in this?

 

This is just headline making noise on the part of the Junta trying to discredit the Shins. And, it is likely to fail badly. Anyone who already does not like the Shins will continue to not like them, all others will see a failed attempt to bully an accomplished, beautiful, young lady.

 

Sleep well, Yingluck! And send a few pictures now and then...

 

Well said old chap ... especially the bit about "send more pics now and then"

This is all a ploy by the Junta to appear that they are actually doing something under their (False) Law

[Juan B Tong]

Running scared

[ezzra]

4 hours ago, Get Real said:

Can´t care less, anybody?

Appearance, lot of people do, the gossip, the gloating and the Schadenfreude factores due to this family notoriety and infamy....

[thaichiro]

She is living in an inactive post. We all know that these people are never brought to justice.

BTW, it would lead to the mother of all domestic strife.

They should hire some Russians to tap the Thaksin bank accounts and repatriate the ill gotten gains. Hit ‘em where it hurts!