#Thailand - Prayut ignored report on Yingluck’s UK asylum bid

PRIME MINISTER General Prayut Chan-o-cha did not pay attention to report that former premier Yingluck Shinawatra would seek asylum overseas because it was a personal matter, Government spokesperson Lt-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said yesterday.

Sansern said Prayut showed no interest in the matter because he was focused on his obligation to legal enforcement, which in this case involved attempts to have the fugitive ex-leader extradited to serve her prison time under the Thai justice system. Concerned agencies, Sansern added, have been working within local and international law to proceed with the case.

Sansern confirmed that the Foreign Affairs Ministry had unofficially acknowledged that Yingluck had travelled to the United Kingdom, but whether she would seek asylum there was her personal business. 

Criteria for asylum seeking in the destination country would be taken into consideration in her case, the spokesperson said.

Yingluck was sentenced in absentia on Wednesday to five years’ imprisonment for malfeasance involving her administration’s fraudulent government-to-government rice deals. 

She disappeared from public view in the days before August 25, when the verdict in her case was first due to be read.

On Thursday, Prayut said that Yingluck was in Dubai, where her brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, has reportedly been living in self-exile.

FOR THE BEST GLOBAL HOTEL & FLIGHT BOOKINGS

Some international news outlets, including CNN, said she was in London and seeking political asylum in the UK, citing their source as her Pheu Thai Party.

The British Embassy in Thailand, told The Nation that “the [UK] Home Office does not comment on whether an individual is in the UK or not”. 

Thaksin and his family are said to be staying in London in a house worth Bt260-million. None of the family has so far have indicated whether Yingluck is also in the UK capital. 

A legal source had told The Nation that an individual has full rights to seek political asylum in a destination country with which he or she has some connection. The host country might take diplomatic relations into consideration, he said, noting that it has the full authority to grant or reject any application. 

Thaksin’s eldest daughter Pintongta on Friday posted on her Instagram account, showing her twin daughters asking her why they never met their grandpa Thaksin in Thailand. She was apparently posting from London, saying she had made the right decision to make a trip to be with her father at a difficult time.

Thaksin’s daughters have been posting family photos along with morale-booting messages since mid-September before the court verdict was eventually issued against Yingluck.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry has received a letter from the Royal Thai Police requesting it to revoke Yingluck’s passport.

The ministry is now considering the matter following its regulations concerning passport issuance, according to Busadee Santipitaks, the ministry’s spokesperson and chief of the Department of Information.

Meanwhile, the Suan Dusit Poll has surveyed opinions of around 1,000 respondents nationwide on the impacts of the court verdict on Thai politics and reconciliation.

Around 33 per cent, the highest share, said the verdict had quite an effect on reconciliation efforts as major parties and their members would not give their cooperation in future political activities. About 24 per cent viewed that it would greatly affect reconciliation efforts, as the rift among groups would be widened. Around 21 percent viewed that it would not have much impact because the government could control the situation and this was a personal matter, while the people just wanted to see peace and order.

Around 37 per cent viewed that the verdict would have quite an effect on politics because different groups would use the issue to attack one another. Around 27 per cent viewed that it would greatly affect politics as it has directly impacted on politicians’ credibility, and politics from now on would be under close watch. Only 19 per cent viewed that it would not affect politics much and the government could control the situation.

Source - TheNation

#Thailand - Will Shinawatras stir the political pot from abroad?

SIBLINGS Thaksin and Yingluck, fugitives from justice, will reunite somewhere abroad. But will they join hands to turn the world against Thailand, or emerge as a threat to the junta? Jintana Panyaarvudh and Kasamakorn Chanwanpen analyse the possibilities.

THE DUST has yet to settle on the dramatic escape of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra late last month and the whole speculation about her whereabouts. All leads point to the former PM joining her brother in exile in either Dubai or London.

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha revealed on Thursday that according to information he had received Yingluck was in Dubai. 

Dubbed “The City of Superlatives”, Dubai was not a surprise choice for Yingluck to escape the Thai justice system. Her brother, former PM Thaksin, has a villa in the Gulf city whose stunning growth from a sleepy port to a world-famous business crossroads within a single generation has been a spectacular success story.

Thaksin chose Dubai as his home base in 2008 because of its convenience, Isra News Agency quoted from “Conversations with Thaksin”, a book written by American Tom Plate, who interviewed him in 2010.

Thaksin was sentenced in absentia to two years in jail in 2008 for conflict of interest during his five years in office. 

 The residence is located in the exclusive Emirates Hills, a gated community in Dubai named after Beverly Hills. Emirates Hills is largely home to the expatriate community of Dubai, as it consists of the first freehold properties that were sold in the city.

 

The 68-year-old former PM told the author he likes Dubai as he feel like he is at the centre of the world. From there, he can travel around the world and as it is not too far from Thailand, his families and friends can also visit him.

The book described his house as a seven-bedroom, two-storey-plus-basement villa with adequate room to accommodate the occasional visiting relative.

During the past decade, Thaksin has always welcomed visits from his family, many of his former MPs and supporters at his villa. 

If government information is to be believed, this is the second time the Shinawatra siblings had reunited after his sister was toppled by the coup in May 2014.

The elder brother and sister reunited in July 2014 for the first time in Paris for Thaksin’s 65th birthday celebrations. Yingluck was permitted by the junta to go on a 20-day trip to Europe. 

But it is believed Thailand’s first female prime minister may not be too comfortable in the heat of the Gulf country where temperatures fluctuate between 10 degrees Celsius in winter to 48 degrees in the scorching summer. Yingluck may prefer to spend her time in London, which has a climate very different from Dubai.

CNN and Reuters reported that Yingluck is now in London and seeking asylum there, although the government contradicted that report. Speculation that Yingluck may choose the UK for life in exile makes sense, as Thaksin owns a manor in Surrey, near London, worth more than Bt260 million.

 FOR THE BEST GLOBAL HOTEL & FLIGHT BOOKINGS

Recently, Thaksin’s daughters Pintongta and Paetongtarn posted their photos with their father in London since September 15 on social media. However, there is still no sign of Yingluck.

Irrespective of which city the two siblings set up their base in, their political future appears dim. 

The door for a political comeback seems to have been almost shut on the two siblings after a new organic law on the criminal procedures for political office holders came into effect last Friday.

If the 50-year-old Yingluck wants to appeal against her five-year imprisonment sentence for negligence in preventing corruption and irregularities in her government rice-pledging scheme, she will be required to appear in court in person. An arrest warrant has been issued for her after her conviction.

The law also affects Thaksin as it allows the prosecution to ask the court to bring four cases related to him for trial in the court in absentia and there would also be no statute of limitations for the cases.

Irrespective of whether they choose Dubai or London, the real question is whether the Shinawatra siblings, who lie at the centre of Thailand’s political conflict, would together make active political moves from abroad. Thaksin used the strategy of “turning the world against Thailand” in his initial years in self-exile.

Critics believe the two siblings have limitations in making moves to attack the junta.

Titipol Phakdeewanich, dean of the Faculty of Political Science at Ubon Ratchathani University, said that the recent remarks of Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan seemed to suggest there was a deal between the Shinawatras and the military under which Yingluck would not to make any political moves.

“In the current political circumstances, the power and influence of the Shinawatras are limited by the military and the ongoing anti-Shinawatra sentiment, especially among the Thai middle class,” Titipol said.

Chamnan Chanruang, a Chiang-Mai-based political scientist, said Yingluck may avoid being as direct and hard as her brother, as she might be seeking asylum.

Usually, the country providing political asylum would bar involvement in political activity during stay in that country.

“Yingluck has been very much loved thanks to her sweetness and humility,” he said.

Only a slight move on the social network could draw a lot of sympathy for her, which would be uncomfortable for the coup-installed regime, Chamnan added.

Thaksin had once confirmed that he had applied for asylum in Britain, but dropped the plan as it would have restricted his freedom to speak out. Aside from that, Chamnan also pointed to the Krung Thai Bank money laundering case involving Thaksin’s son Panthongtae. The fact that Thaksin’s son was currently being probed could deter the siblings from attacking the junta, he said.

However, Titipol said the Shinawatras would continue to maintain their relations with their international allies in order to pressure Thailand to return to democracy, despite the alteration of US foreign policy stance under the Trump administration.

“I don’t think the Shinawatras will fade away from Thai politics in the long term. Once democracy is resumed, there will be room for the Shinawatras to make their political moves,” Titipol said.

A top Pheu Thai Party figure, who is a close aide of Yingluck, told The Nation that Yingluck could end up anywhere. “International leaders love her. Her image [when she travelled abroad for international meeting] in their eyes is a strong person,” he said.

“There are more people who love PM Yingluck than those who hate her. She does not have to go along with Khun Thaksin. Both can travel separately,” the source said.

Her supporters are waiting for her first remarks. “I think once she settles down, she would explain her decision. She is a former prime minister, so she cannot disappear forever,” the Pheu Thai figure said.

Source - TheNation

#Thailand - Angry Prayut says media should ‘get over’ Thaksin.

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s temper flared on Wednesday when he was asked about a recent poll by King Prajadhipok’s Institute that showed fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra had a higher credibility rating while in office than Prayut has now.

“I am so over him. But you [the media], you’re not. And you keep reporting [news] about him,” Prayut responded after first pretending not to hear the question and asking the reporter to repeat herself.

Asked whether he was also “over” his former boss – former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who recently fled the country – the general said he was “over” everyone from conflicting parties. But it did not mean he disrespected them, he said.

“By getting over them, I mean I don’t think of them. I don’t give importance to this kind of stuff, because I’m not like they say I am,” he said.

FOR THE BEST GLOBAL HOTEL & FLIGHT BOOKINGS

He said he “got over” these people since his very first days in office, and now he just wanted justice to prevail.

Clearly upset, Prayut continued: “I’d really like you to do the same and start asking better questions. Ask about my trip to join the BRICS meeting. Ask me if I’m tired or how much Thailand is welcome there. But you never care.”

Prayut said that matters involving the Shinawatra siblings were being handled in the judicial process.

He said the best thing was to forget them and leave them to the justice system. If not, the country would not go anywhere.

“Do you get that there are wrongdoings there? Please report so,” he said. “For my part, I can only tell the international community about the wrongdoings. Whether or not they are guilty depends on the justice system. But because of their flight, they cannot proceed with the cases. That’s it.”

Prayut said the government did not want to “go after” anyone, but the wrongdoings had occurred before he took power.

The prime minister went on to say that the issue had been neglected in the past and this had resulted in people coming out into the streets to fight one another.

He asked whether the media was trying to provoke the people again. Clearly irritated, Prayut said that finally the blame would be put on him.

“Don’t think that I do not follow your [the media] work. I always do. But I only read what matters and I skip the nonsense,” Prayut said.

Before leavingm he added: “I want to know why you never asked whether I’m tired, whether I will be back, where I have been. But don’t ask me now. It’s too late. I’m back here and the first thing I get is these questions. It’s you that never get over them.”

King Prajadhipok's Institute’s most recent survey revealed on Tuesday that fugitive former prime minister Thaksin was perceived as the most popular and credible prime minister in the past 15 years, slightly surpassing current PM Prayut.

Thaksin’s popularity rating was highest at 87.8 per cent in 2003, while Prayut’s was 87.5 in 2015, a year after he seized power. Thaksin’s government also scored above Prayut’s, with 92.9 in 2003 compared to 78.8 in 2015.

Although the general’s peak rating was lower than Thaksin’s, Prayut was more popular during the downturn. Prayut scored 84.8 per cent in 2017, while Thaksin’s dropped to 77.2 in 2006.

Meanwhile, former premiers Abhisit and Yingluck rated between 50 and 60 per cent. Abhisit received 61.6 and 51.2 per cent in 2010 and 2011 respectively, while Yingluck’s rating was at 69.9 per cent in 2012, down to 63.4 during 2013 and 2014.

When it came to the credibility of individuals or groups of individuals, the people surveyed laid their trust best in state medical staff, who socred more than 85 per cent, followed by private medical staff on 85.6, the military (85.1), the PM (84.8), civil officials (82.3), and the National Council for Peace and Order, 82.1.

Political parties, on the contrary, ranked among the lowest receiving less than 40 per cent.

Source - TheNation

PS - He looks jealous ? 

Fugitive Thai ex-PM Yingluck in Dubai, aiming for UK

Fugitive former Thai premier Yingluck Shinawatra fled to Dubai and may try to seek asylum in the UK, a junta source told AFP Saturday, after she ducked a legal ruling, wrong-footing the court and her supporters alike.

Yingluck, 50, was due on Friday morning to arrive at the Supreme Court for the ruling in her trial for criminal negligence that could have seen her jailed for 10 years.

But she did not show up, staging a vanishing act that wrote a dramatic closing chapter to the 16-year political saga of her mega-rich Shinawatra family.

Speculation swirled on Saturday on the whereabouts of Thailand's first female prime minister -- and her possible escape route.

The junta source, who is well-placed in the security hierarchy, gave a detailed description of her escape, saying she took a private jet from Thailand to Singapore and onto Dubai, the base of Shinawatra family patriarch Thaksin, who is Yingluck's older brother.

"Thaksin has long prepared escape plan for his sister... he would not allow his sister to spend even a single day in prison," the source added, requesting anonymity.

"But Dubai is not Yingluck's final destination," the source said, adding she may be aiming "to claim asylum in Britain".

 FOR THE BEST GLOBAL HOTEL & FLIGHT BOOKINGS

Thaksin, who once owned Manchester City football club, owns property in London and spends significant amounts of time in the city.

The Shinawatra's political network remained tight-lipped on Saturday in a media blackout that only served to heighten speculation over her dash from Thailand and the likelihood of a possible deal with the junta to allow her to leave.

A senior source inside the family's Pheu Thai party, also requesting anonymity, on Saturday told AFP Yingluck had fled the country for Dubai a few days before the ruling.

The Shinawatra political dynasty emerged in 2001 with a series of groundbreaking welfare schemes that won them votes and the loyalty of the rural poor.

But their popularity rattled Thailand's royalist, army-aligned elite, who battered successive governments linked to the clan with coups, court cases and protests.

Yingluck's government was toppled by a coup in 2014 and she was put on trial over negligence linked to a costly rice subsidy that propped up her rural political base. 

Source - The Jakarta Post