Thailand's former PM Yingluck fled to Dubai - senior party members

[rooster59]

Thailand's former PM Yingluck fled to Dubai - senior party members

 

Ousted former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra greets supporters as she arrives at the Supreme Court in Bangkok, Thailand, August 1, 2017. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has fled to Dubai, senior members of her party said on Saturday, a day after she failed to show up for a negligence ruling in which she faced up to 10 years in prison.

 

Sources in her Puea Thai Party said the former prime minister left Thailand last week and flew via Singapore to Dubai where her brother, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who lives in self-imposed exile to avoid a 2008 jail sentence for corruption, has a home.

 

"We heard that she went to Cambodia and then Singapore from where she flew to Dubai. She has arrived safely and is there now," said a senior member of the Puea Thai Party who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

 

Deputy national police chief General Srivara Rangsibrahmanakul said police had no record of Yingluck leaving the country and where following developments closely.

 

A Reuters reporter was stopped by security at the exclusive Emirates Hills community in Dubai, where Thaksin has a home.

 

A spokesperson for Thaksin in Dubai did not respond to attempts by Reuters to contact Thaksin.

 

Police estimate that up to 3,000 supporters had gathered outside the court in Bangkok on Friday where Yingluck was due to hear a verdict in a negligence trial against her involving a rice buying policy of her administration.

 

But Yingluck did not show up at the appointed hour and the court quickly issued a statement saying she had cited an ear problem as the reason for her no-show.

 

The court rejected the excuse and moved the verdict reading to September 27. It later issued an arrest warrant for Yingluck.

 

Immigration police said they would arrest Yingluck on the spot if she is found.

 

Sources close to the Shinawatra family on Friday said Yingluck had fled the country ahead of the verdict.

 

Overthrown in 2014, Yingluck had faced up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. Her former commerce minister was jailed in a related case for 42 years on Friday.

 

Political parties led or backed by the Shinawatras have dominated Thai politics, winning every general election since 2001.

 

But the Shinawatras have been accused of corruption and nepotism by the Bangkok-based establishment who loath Thaksin.

The family command huge support in the poorer, rural north and northeast.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-08-26

[Samui Bodoh]

Good for her!

 

All through history people have fled when confronted with unfair persecution.

 

The interesting question is whether she will be activating her FB account...

[Daryle]

You wounded why we have to report to immigration, when they can't stop a person on the no fly list.

Sent from my SM-T530 using Tapatalk

[seajae]

the only ones that flee are the criminal elements that are guilty and do not want to be locked up, has nothing to do with being innocent. This was all about money and jail time, she is the same as thaksin, think they are above the law and will never accept any guilt for what they have done, can only hope karma gets both of them

[z42]

So many detractors of the current regime seem to think their blatant corruption and outright criminal behaviour makes Yingluck some kind of heroine.

It simply doesn't stack up imho, she was negligent in performing the role of PM and was little more than a puppet for her criminal brother Thaksin.

The fact she ran says a lot about her moral courage. On more than 1 occasion she claimed she would be ready to die for democracy, yet at the first sign of a major hurdle she bolted off to join her criminal brother.

 

The disgusting nature of Prayuth's govt is undeniable. However YS has shown her true colours here. 

Thailand has some wonderful young figures such as Netiwit, Ja new, Pai Dao Din and others.. What potential Thailand could meet if people like that got a real platform to make a difference. The shin rein is over, but a whole population will now be looking for new faces. I would prefer to be hopeful than cynical for the next chapter

[chopin2]

How long before "Oak" accepts to be the next redshirt leader, make a new cycle of chaos, and then join the rest of the family in Dubai?

[darksidedog]

Lots of information and disinformation flying around. Is she in Dubai, or is that just a smokescreen? Right now it is just the word of some of her supporters.

[ignis]

15 minutes ago, Daryle said:

You wounded why we have to report to immigration, when they can't stop a person on the no fly list.

Sent from my SM-T530 using Tapatalk
 

Maybe flown out via Thai Military/aircraft ?   No need to pass immigration ?  

[hansnl]

29 minutes ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Good for her!

 

All through history people have fled when confronted with unfair persecution.

 

The interesting question is whether she will be activating her FB account...

Unfair prosecution?

[rixalex]

25 minutes ago, Samui Bodoh said:

All through history people have fled when confronted with unfair persecution.

 

And all through history people have fled when confronted with justice.

[rooster59]

Yingluck in Dubai, says Pheu Thai source

By The Nation

 

File photo from Yingluck Shinawatra Facebook page.

 

Former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra fled Thailand for Dubai two days before a verdict was due to be delivered in a trial over the rice-pledging scheme, a highly placed source in her Pheu Thai party told CNN on Friday.

 

Yingluck left Thailand on Wednesday and is now "safe and sound" in Dubai, the source told the US broadcaster.

 

An arrest warrant was issued for Yingluck by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions on Friday after she failed to turn up for the verdict reading in the negligence case against her. The case was related to her former government’s controversial rice-pledging scheme.

 

The court postponed the verdict reading to September 27 and ordered the seizure of Yingluck’s Bt30-million bail.

 

Yingluck's brother Thaksin, who is also a former prime minister and also toppled by a military coup, lives in Dubai and London in self-imposed exile to avoid abuse-of-power charges.

 

The deputy national police chief told CNN that there was no official record of Yingluck leaving the country, which would suggest she first slipped into a neighbouring nation by crossing through a land border.

 

 

Asked if it was possible she fled via a natural land border, Pol General Srivara Rangsibhramanakul would only say: “That is possible.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30324957

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-08-26

[scotchonrocks]

All through history criminals have fled to escape justice.

[Lemonltr]

28 minutes ago, seajae said:

the only ones that flee are the criminal elements that are guilty and do not want to be locked up, has nothing to do with being innocent. This was all about money and jail time, she is the same as thaksin, think they are above the law and will never accept any guilt for what they have done, can only hope karma gets both of them

What about the top policeman who claimed asylum in Australia after being posted to the South and sure death?

[Lemonltr]

31 minutes ago, z42 said:

So many detractors of the current regime seem to think their blatant corruption and outright criminal behaviour makes Tingluck some kind of heroine.

It simply doesn't stack up imho, she was negligent in performing the role of PM and was little more than a puppet for her criminal brother Thaksin.

The fact she ran says a lot about her moral courage. On more than 1 occasion she claimed she would be ready to die for democracy, yet at the first sign of a major hurdle she bolted off to join her criminal brother.

 

The disgusting nature of Prayuth's govt is undeniable. However YS has shown her true colours here. 

Thailand has some wonderful young figures such as Netiwit, Ja new, Pai Dao Din and others.. What potential Thailand could meet if people like that got a real platform to make a difference. The shin rein is over, but a whole population will now be looking for new faces. I would prefer to be hopeful than cynical for the next chapter

They can look all they want for new faces but the new faces will be obliterated.

The Elite/Military have won.  No turning back I'm afraid to say.

[harada]

Breaking news: Yingluck seen in a Chiang Mai restaurant last night with Jimmy Hendrix and Elvis. 

[Kieranmc]

She did the right thing. There was no justice in that puppet courtroom. The verdict was reached well before they went to trial.

 

Though I will say she has made the Junta look like fools by so easily leaving regardless if she had help or not. Three years they followed her every move and then puff- she's gone.

[piersbeckett]

42 minutes ago, z42 said:

So many detractors of the current regime seem to think their blatant corruption and outright criminal behaviour makes Tingluck some kind of heroine.

It simply doesn't stack up imho, she was negligent in performing the role of PM and was little more than a puppet for her criminal brother Thaksin.

The fact she ran says a lot about her moral courage. On more than 1 occasion she claimed she would be ready to die for democracy, yet at the first sign of a major hurdle she bolted off to join her criminal brother.

 

The disgusting nature of Prayuth's govt is undeniable. However YS has shown her true colours here. 

Thailand has some wonderful young figures such as Netiwit, Ja new, Pai Dao Din and others.. What potential Thailand could meet if people like that got a real platform to make a difference. The shin rein is over, but a whole population will now be looking for new faces. I would prefer to be hopeful than cynical for the next chapter

Hope is about all there is.

[inThailand]

You falangs not understand...

flying the coop is part of our culture.

[OJAS]

55 minutes ago, chopin2 said:

How long before "Oak" accepts to be the next redshirt leader, make a new cycle of chaos, and then join the rest of the family in Dubai?

OMG how many more Shinawatra's are there left in the pipeline here in LOS?

[delphioracle]

Just a couple or so questions .

 

How many of you are actually Thai citizens and why are you here as opposed to your country of birth.

 

I am her because it is my home country and I lived or rather survived the Thaksin  regimes, the drugs war disappearing lawyers  and  court case witnesses hostile to the Thakin's and their regime, press repression Red Shirt urban terrorism, rioting,  arson and pillage etc as well as the disproved  blow my air-plane up  story  which Boeing scotched by explaining the truth of the issue, 

 

We have had some three years of a peaceful society, even  in Isaan where I and my  family hail from the folks there are not so worried about the current administration.

 

The current situation may well be to some not ideal.  But it is working in its own unique Asian way.

 

The road to democracy  especially  Asian style democracy is a slow one.Look how long it has taken Singapore to achieve the  level of democracy it shows to the outside world.

 

Let me see, England's Magna  Carta, 1000 or so years old  but still learning curves are being  navigated. 

 

 

[Kieran00001]

1 hour ago, seajae said:

the only ones that flee are the criminal elements that are guilty and do not want to be locked up, has nothing to do with being innocent. This was all about money and jail time, she is the same as thaksin, think they are above the law and will never accept any guilt for what they have done, can only hope karma gets both of them

 

She doesn't have the ability to pardon herself like Prayut did, so already you can see it is not quite as simple as you.

[inThailand]

How can any one defend wasting billions of tax payer money to buy a product twice as much as it's market value, thus buying supporters and votes, and all the while lining their own pockets with billions? 

[Jip99]

5 minutes ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

Ah the old 'Thais or Asians are different' racist nonsense to excuse a little bit of fascism.

 

What a load of claptrap.

 

You obviously weren't here during the Thaksin years as they were some of the most stable and prosperous the country has ever seen so you are either lying or being willfully ignorant. 

 

 

Yes, the War on Drugs period was particularly stable and humanitarian.

[djjamie]

Who says crime doesn't pay! Entry level property starts at $5.5million. How many bags of rice is that?

 

http://www.emirateshill.com

 

 

 

[Kieran00001]

1 minute ago, inThailand said:

How can any one defend wasting billions of tax payer money to buy a product twice as much as it's market value, thus buying supporters and votes, and all the while lining their own pockets with billions? 

 

Buying things from farmers for more than they are worth happens all over the world, opposition parties may like to criticise it by calling it populism but other praise it for how it keeps the vital farmers afloat.  The EU does it in the form of subsidies, one in five of the biggest subsidies going to someone on the Times rich list.  Anyway, did Thaksin line his pockets with billions?  I recall him starting politics already a billionaire, an attempted confiscation and the courts giving him back his money that turned out to have been his all along!

[delphioracle]

10 minutes ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

Ah the old 'Thais or Asians are different' racist nonsense to excuse a little bit of fascism.

 

What a load of claptrap.

 

You obviously weren't here during the Thaksin years as they were some of the most stable and prosperous the country has ever seen so you are either lying or being willfully ignorant. 

Strangely enough I was  here and being of a mixed race origin Thai English I perhaps am somewhat better informed than a  self important pompous  character than you who delights in  running this country and its peoples down.

 

Nothing racial in my statements, perhaps you would be wise to look at your, own posts. Pot kettle black, now go away and collect the toys that you have thrown out of your pram like a good baby would.

 

 

[mauGR1]

13 minutes ago, delphioracle said:

Just a couple or so questions .

 

How many of you are actually Thai citizens and why are you here as opposed to your country of birth.

 

I am her because it is my home country and I lived or rather survived the Thaksin  regimes, the drugs war disappearing lawyers  and  court case witnesses hostile to the Thakin's and their regime, press repression Red Shirt urban terrorism, rioting,  arson and pillage etc as well as the disproved  blow my air-plane up  story  which Boeing scotched by explaining the truth of the issue, 

 

We have had some three years of a peaceful society, even  in Isaan where I and my  family hail from the folks there are not so worried about the current administration.

 

The current situation may well be to some not ideal.  But it is working in its own unique Asian way.

 

The road to democracy  especially  Asian style democracy is a slow one.Look how long it has taken Singapore to achieve the  level of democracy it shows to the outside world.

 

Let me see, England's Magna  Carta, 1000 or so years old  but still learning curves are being  navigated. 

 

 

Well, to answer your question, and i speak just for myself,  i live in Thailand, i love the country and i read Thaivisa for the news and the precious opinions of those foreigners who live here.

I am sure i am not alone in wishing there could be more Thai nationals contributing to this forum, that is why i very much appreciate your contribution.

I fully agree that the road to democracy is not only slow, but very hard, and that includes the whole world, not only Thailand and Asia.

Welcome, and pls keep posting.

[inThailand]

21 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

Buying things from farmers for more than they are worth happens all over the world, opposition parties may like to criticise it by calling it populism but other praise it for how it keeps the vital farmers afloat.  The EU does it in the form of subsidies, one in five of the biggest subsidies going to someone on the Times rich list.  Anyway, did Thaksin line his pockets with billions?  I recall him starting politics already a billionaire, an attempted confiscation and the courts giving him back his money that turned out to have been his all along!

Yes and mostly No.

 

Most countries will offer a subsidy to grow a different product or not grow at all. They don't pay 100% over the going rate. This was a flawed and misguided plan from the start.

One could argue, that countries that do pay subsidies to farmers screw up something called supply and demand and not let market forces do their job.

[jvs]

Her fleeing probably saved a lot of violence in the streets of Bangkok.

I am not pretending to know enough about all that is going on to comment about her leaving being right or wrong.

[delphioracle]

 

 

8 minutes ago, mauGR1 said:

Well, to answer your question, and i speak just for myself,  i live in Thailand, i love the country and i read Thaivisa for the news and the precious opinions of those foreigners who live here.

I am sure i am not alone in wishing there could be more Thai nationals contributing to this forum, that is why i very much appreciate your contribution.

I fully agree that the road to democracy is not only slow, but very hard, and that includes the whole world, not only Thailand and Asia.

Welcome, and pls keep posting.

I've been here  as a member for a number of years but the blatant bigotry and racism of many of the posters here is unbelievable, hence I read posts but rarely bother to respond. It's useless to argue with fools and  I won't lower my self to their level uneducated bigots that they are.

 

Those  characters seem to think that Thai's should be excluded from making comments regarding their own country in this forum.