Uk Cancel Thaksin's Visa And Wife's

[Plus]

any withdrawal of visa for someone of their status would have been issued by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and not a junior member of the British Embassy in Bangkok.

It's a routine e-mail to airlines, Andy Gray, whoever he is, sounds like right person for the job of notifying them. We have no idea who or when cancelled the visa, we just have an e-mail informing people that it has been done.

[Mobi]

I have no idea on the validity of this report but I would have thought that any withdrawal of visa for someone of their status would have been issued by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and not a junior member of the British Embassy in Bangkok. Just my thoughts.

Hm.. we shall see.

The thing that struck me about the email was the use of the term "United Kingdom Border Agency" I had never heard this term before, but now I see it is absolutely correct, and came into being in April of this year.

From The UK border Agency Home Page:

"The UK Border Agency is responsible for securing the United Kingdom borders and controlling migration in the United Kingdom. We manage border control for the United Kingdom, enforcing immigration and customs regulations. We also consider applications for permission to enter or stay in the United Kingdom, citizenship and asylum."

So it would seem that this is absolutely the right department to revoke the Thaksins' visas, and I may be wrong, but think it unlikely that an hoaxer would be aware of this new agency.

[LaoPo]

The International, more serious press is reporting/copying the "news" now as well:

November 8, 2008

Britain Revokes Visa of Thai Ex-Leader

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

BANGKOK — British immigration officials have revoked the visas of Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister of Thailand, and his wife, several Thai newspapers reported Saturday.

Mr. Thaksin has made London his home since being ousted in a coup two years ago, but he was said to be traveling in Asia.

A Thai-language newspaper, Manager, posted what it said was an advisory to airlines not to fly Mr. Thaksin and his wife, Pojaman, to Britain. “The U.K. visas contained in the passports of the individuals listed above are no longer valid for travel,” it said.

A spokeswoman for the British Foreign Office in London said in a telephone interview that privacy laws precluded the government from commenting on individual immigration cases.

Antigovernment protesters celebrated the news on Saturday. In recent weeks, protesters have marched to the British Embassy in Bangkok to demand that Mr. Thaksin, who was sentenced in absentia last month to two years in prison for abuse of power, be deported from Britain.

The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/08/world/as....html?ref=world

Hmmmm..it better be true now, what the 'Manager' wrote.

LaoPo

[bdenner]

For what it's worth this was published in the 'Straights Times' a few minutes ago:

CONVICTED former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is believed to be stranded in China after the British government reportedly revoked his visa.

His wife Khunying Potjaman has also been banned from entering Britain on their Thai passports, according to the Bangkok Post.

Quoting a source, the newpaper said a notification letter on the visas being revoked was circulated on Friday by e-mail to airlines which are members of the Airport Operations Committee.

The source said the letter was sent by an official at the UK Border Agency, Mr Andy Gray, who is in charge of immigration at the British embassy in Thailand.

The letter explicitly stated that the visas issued for Thaksin and Khunying Potjaman were now invalid and the couple should be prevented from boarding planes to Britain, the source said.

According to a second source, Thaksin is now in China after calling his supporters in the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) at the Rajamangala stadium on Nov 1 from Hong Kong.

His wife's whereabouts are not clear. It is not known whether she accompanied her husband from London to Hong Kong and then China.

Thaksin and Khunying Potjaman, along with their family, have spent most of their time in London after fleeing justice in Thailand.

A source close to Thaksin said the former prime minister and his wife have been granted honorary citizenship of the Bahamas and they can travel on Bahamian passports.

Bahamas!!

[brahmburgers]

If it's true, it's the 2nd great news of the week! ....the 1st being how Americans Baracked the vote.

I wonder where he's going to end up living? Belize is nice and a passport from there is pretty easy!

[Guest Reimar]

Why you Anti-PAD guy's didn't can wait with your comment's before it's official the Visa's are canceled or not?!

Until the the true fact's are official, any comment, pro or contra, is just a fiction and if the info's are true, you show your self to be on the same or even below level than the humans you guy's had named PAD-Mod on Thaivisa.

Interestingly in this is, that the PAD supporters not called the pro Gov or Thaksin supporters to be a Mob!

Cheers.

What a bizarre post.It's nothing to do with being PAD or anti-PAD.Actually I agree with Plus that it's highly unlikely that PAD had anything to do with this.And with respect it requires a first class knowledge of English idiom to see that there is something very odd about the Nation report.

My dear friend, before you post such comment I suggest that you read the relevant post. If you don't know where they are (in THIS thread), I'll give you the links:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Uk-Cancel-Th...21#entry2318921

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Uk-Cancel-Th...50#entry2318950

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Uk-Cancel-Th...54#entry2319054

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Uk-Cancel-Th...26#entry2319126

If you don't understand the meaning of my post, please feel free to pm me for a personal explanation.

Cheers.

[Plus]

I guess Thaksin won't be harping about "mature democracy" anymore, after having been kicked out.

Here goes his international profile.

[Mosha]

I hope he likes Reggae

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNew...ory_299891.html

[JacknDanny]

any withdrawal of visa for someone of their status would have been issued by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and not a junior member of the British Embassy in Bangkok.

It's a routine e-mail to airlines, Andy Gray, whoever he is, sounds like right person for the job of notifying them. We have no idea who or when cancelled the visa, we just have an e-mail informing people that it has been done.

Andy Gray, know him well. He is in charge of Immigration at the British Embassy, and in his spare time works for Sky Sports in the UK as a football pundit and commentator.

[grantbkk]

Does anyone remember a few months back when there was news reports and press conferences with a sidelined military general and some people wearing disguises purported to be insurgent group leaders declaring a truce in the deep south? Huge embarrassment for Thailand!

Can the Thai people be duped again like many people have been on this forum today?

PAD or no PAD this is a JOKE. Coincidentally, the PAD is losing support in Bangkok and does need to provide a sense of moving forward with whatever their agenda is. Coincidentally, a PAD affiliated new organization provided this breaking news to their supporters and to the world before anyone else. The NY Times is also quoting Thai news sources and nowhere yet has it appeared in the British tabloids.

It is hard to believe that someone would put out such a historic story and expect it to be believed for a couple of days but it did happen in the recent past. This is Thailand so we can expect the celebrating in the streets to diminish soon, some organization to declare a misunderstanding in "VISA GATE" and life will go on. People are so gullible.

[Plus]

JnD, THAT Andy Gray????

Someone said he was Airline liason officer, not Immigration, but still - he is very well known in football circles here.

If it was a hoax, they would have picked up someone less conspicuous.

If it was a hoax, he'd be laughing it off at Arsenal-Man U game tonight.

[Insight]

Laughable if this is true, but thinking about it, I can see why (and it makes me bloody proud!). As somebody mentioned earlier, applying for asylum for so-called fears of your own safety (on a diplomatic passport no less), then jetting around the world at your on will to appear on a phone-in in front of an audience of thousands in your own country, while sucking up to our "mature democracy" - how gullible does he think we are?

I hope these reports are true as it's the type of response deserved.

[jackspratt]

Britain revokes Thaksin and wife's visas: official

Posted 13 minutes ago

British authorities have revoked the visas of ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Pojaman, an airline official said.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the British embassy had informed all airlines in an email on Friday not to allow the couple to board flights to Britain.............................

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/11...?section=justin

[Mobi]

If it's not true, why doesn't the British embassy issue a denial?

This story has been around for several hours now and is gaining worldwide momentum.

[younghusband]

If you don't understand the meaning of my post, please feel free to pm me for a personal explanation.

Cheers.

Thanks but I have already seen those posts.I suppose it will emerge fairly soon whether the report is a hoax or not.I am afraid I still find your post rather bizarre but am not really that interested in finding out the reasons for this.

But I could be wrong since I note the AFP reports they have had sight of the relevant email.Ah well if so put it down to another "younghusband" or incorrect call, as Siripon once put it!

[Plus]

Is Thaksin going to use his diplomatic passport to avoid visa embarassement? The original visa was given when he applied with a regular book, I understand.

[dumball]

I have no idea on the validity of this report but I would have thought that any withdrawal of visa for someone of their status would have been issued by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and not a junior member of the British Embassy in Bangkok. Just my thoughts.

What status ? I think he revoked his own status with his disonourable antics , any official at an immigration entry gate can refuse you entry and put you on a flight to whence you came . It is done often , even if you think you have all the correct documents , i think a visa is only permission to 'Knock on the door ' actual entry a different matter dependant on circumstance .

[sassienie]

This was briefly mentioned on the channel 3 Thai news this morning.

Apparently the information was leaked out by email, but nothing confirmed yet.

[Nowhereman60]

Why does all these reports say the British Embassy revoked the visa? Which British Embassy?

[Plus]

Nope, British Embassy didn't revoke the visa. It was Border Patrol agency or something, Mobi described it a few posts ago.

The embassy is mentioned because it was one of their staff that sent e-mail to airlines.

[midas]

Jonathon Head from the BBC here in Bangkok - where are you and can you

confirm this ?

[jitagon]

Ahhhh, I wondered why spouse was being especially nice to me this morning

[younghusband]

Thinking about it further I can see exactly why the British authorities would not want Thaksin to arrive in the UK on a flight from Thailand.It's obviously not a very likely contingency but might be worth alerting airlines in Bangkok.That's a different point of course from withdrawing his visa.

I love mysteries like this!

[Tony121]

After he done the phone in he gave the UK a good reason to revoke his visa, we will wait to see if its true.

[midas]

IT WAS JUST ON BBC WORLD !!

[Mosha]

A very short report, all over in 30seconds.

[midas]

A very short report, all over in 30seconds.

But less likely now that is a hoax dont you think ...........?

[jamesjdaly]

The British government has revoked the tourist visas for convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife, Khunying Potjaman, airline employees report. The former premier is believed to be in China.

Today's BKK Post

I also notice that both his passport and his ***wife's start wioth the letter "D". Are these diplomatic ones?

[mc2]

It is increasingly unlikely to be a hoax at this stage.

And almost certainly will turn out to be true IMO

[MKAsok]

Confirmed by the UK Foreign Office (BBC News).