Picture courtesy of Flightradar24

 

The global flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 saw a dramatic surge in Thai users earlier this month as tens of thousands logged on to follow the flight movements of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. His private jet trip to Dubai on 4 September and his return to Bangkok on 8 September became among the most closely watched flights on the service. The surge highlighted how a tool usually used by aviation enthusiasts and travellers has been adopted by political observers in Thailand.

 

Thaksin departed days before a court ruling on 9 September regarding his extended hospital stay, a case that had attracted widespread public interest. His journey also coincided with the appointment of a political rival as Thailand’s new prime minister, adding to speculation over his movements. Initial reports indicated he was bound for Singapore for a medical examination, with Thaksin insisting he would return to Thailand to hear the ruling.

 

On 4 September, thousands tracked his Bombardier Global 7500 after it left Bangkok, with Flightradar24 reporting it as the most-followed flight globally that day. The jet appeared to be heading for Singapore before diverting northwest over India and eventually landing in Dubai. Thaksin later explained via social media that immigration delays in Bangkok forced the diversion, although he had initially planned to visit his doctor in Singapore.

 

Interest surged again on 8 September when more than 33,000 users monitored the plane’s landing in Bangkok. Experts said the phenomenon underlined how technology is changing the way the public engages with political developments. Dr Kornprom Saengaram, a cardiothoracic surgeon and former Thai Airways pilot, noted that Thais had used Flightradar24 for years, mainly to check flight schedules, but the political focus was new.

 

Flightradar24, founded in Sweden in 2006, has become the world’s most widely used flight-tracking service, with more than 50,000 ADS-B receivers worldwide feeding live data into its system. The app is used by aviation enthusiasts, travellers, businesses and, increasingly, those following high-profile figures. Record audiences were seen in 2022 when 5 million tracked Queen Elizabeth II’s final flight and 2.2 million monitored US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

 

The platform’s technology relies primarily on ADS-B signals broadcast by modern aircraft, which are picked up by a global network of receivers. It supplements this with multilateration, radar feeds, satellite-based ADS-B and data from airlines and airports. However, not all flights are fully visible due to privacy and security restrictions, with some government, military or private aircraft either hidden or anonymised.

 

Looking ahead, Flightradar24 continues to expand through community participation, offering receivers to volunteers to help fill data gaps worldwide. The app’s growing role in political events demonstrates its wider social impact beyond aviation, showing how digital tools once niche are now reshaping public awareness of major developments.

 

Key Takeaways

 

• Tens of thousands in Thailand tracked Thaksin Shinawatra’s flights via Flightradar24 earlier this month.

• The app, founded in 2006, has grown into the world’s most popular flight-tracking service with a vast volunteer network.

• Interest in Thaksin’s movements reflects how technology is reshaping political engagement and public scrutiny.

 

Related stories:

 

Thaksin’s-private-jet-departed-Dubai-ahead-of-Thai-court-hearing

 

Thaksin-travels-to-Singapore-for-medical-check-up-vows-return

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Bangkokpost 2025-09-14

 

 

 

 

I will be flying to U Tapao on Wednesday if anyone's interested.😃

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On 9/14/2025 at 4:34 AM, Georgealbert said:

The global flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 saw a dramatic surge in Thai users earlier this month as tens of thousands logged on to follow the flight movements of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Aircraft flight movements can also be tracked in real-time using websites and apps such as FlightAware and Plane Finder, 

Hi won’t be using it for the next year unless he gets released from prison early 

Soon to be banned. Just a heads up. 

That's a rather odd route to Dubai, unless the flight plan was to avoid flying over Myanmar.