Thai Court Approves Thaksin's ASEAN Trip to Brunei

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File photo courtesy: Thai Rath

 

Thailand's Criminal Court has granted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra permission to travel to Brunei to participate in ASEAN meetings on February 18-19. This marks the second occasion he has been allowed to leave Thailand recently, following his release on bail with a 5-million-baht surety.

 

Thaksin will attend the meetings as an adviser to Malaysia, the current ASEAN chair. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has appointed Thaksin to informally advise on ASEAN matters, paving the way for his visit to Brunei.

 

However, Thaksin's requests to extend his visit to include Vietnam and Cambodia during the same period were denied. The court cited the lack of formal invitations from the respective governments as a key reason for rejecting these additional travel requests.

 

Under the terms of his bail, Thaksin is barred from leaving Thailand without explicit permission. He faces charges related to lese-majeste and computer crime, arising from an interview conducted in South Korea in 2015, with witness testimonies scheduled for July this year.

The court's decision was reportedly influenced by an official invitation from Malaysia's Prime Minister arranged through Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This mirrors a previous trip facilitated for consultations with Mr. Anwar in Malaysia from February 2-3.

 

Thaksin submitted his latest travel request on February 13, followed by a court hearing on Friday where both Thaksin and Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa provided testimony. The court stipulated that Thaksin must report back within three days of his return to Thailand.

 

The court declined Thaksin's request to visit Vietnam after he cited invitations from business associates rather than the Vietnamese government. A personal invitation from Cambodia's former Prime Minister Hun Sen was similarly deemed insufficient for court approval.

 

These developments illustrate the stringent conditions surrounding Thaksin's bail and highlight the ongoing scrutiny of his activities as he navigates his legal and diplomatic engagements, reported Bangkok Post.

 

-- 2025-02-17

 

 

[Geoffggi]

No-one actually working for the government capable of overseeing things then ..................LOL

[ikke1959]

The second time it is clear that Thai justice is based on money and friends.. Accused of violating section 112 Mr Thaksin got bail, while others are bail refused... but Thaksin has the money. He is not allowed officially to leave the country, but he has already granted permission for 2 times and more will follow, while other protestors are being kept in jail and being punished with more jail term time after time... And than Thailand dare to claim that is the laws are equal for everybody

[Hunz Kittisak]

Thaksin is a respected senior statesman of Thailand. He should be allowed free reign to foster closer bilateral relationships with Thailand’s neighbours and friends 
 

[redwood1]

But what about the grandkids?

[redwood1]

11 minutes ago, Hunz Kittisak said:

Thaksin is a respected senior statesman of Thailand. He should be allowed free reign to foster closer bilateral relationships with Thailand’s neighbours and friends 
 

 

The only place Tony should be is sharing a jail cell with 40 other inmates...

[billd766]

2 hours ago, redwood1 said:

 

The only place Tony should be is sharing a jail cell with 40 other inmates...

Isn't proof a wonderful thing?

 

Do you have any?