Thaksin Shinawatra arrived at the M Jet terminal of Don Mueang Airport, Bangkok, Thailand, at around 6pm on September 4 as a private plane was preparing to take off.
Immigration officers identified Mr. Thaksin and his assistants on the plane.
Previously, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said he was traveling to Hua Hin district, Prachuap Khiri Khan province.
Thai authorities have verified Mr. Thaksin's identification documents. Although Mr. Thaksin has presented a valid passport, his passport has already been confiscated due to a ban on leaving the country. Therefore, Mr. Thaksin was detained at the airport for questioning.
Immigration staff and airport management have conducted further checks on Mr. Thaksin's documents. The results show that Thaksin's previous cases, especially his accusation of committing crimes while in the army, have now ended. Therefore, his passport was reactivated, allowing him to go abroad.
Thaksin, father of former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, is still facing another lawsuit in the Supreme Court of Thailand. The case involved him being hospitalized for 6 months on the 14th floor of the Police General Hospital for treatment instead of serving a prison sentence.
Mr. Thaksin is expected to return to Thailand before the court issued a verdict on September 9.
A source close to Thaksin Shinawatra confirmed that the former Thai leader will visit Singapore for a health check-up as scheduled, expected to last two days. After that, he will return to Thailand immediately.
The source stressed that Mr. Thaksin left Thailand only for medical reasons, not to avoid the judgments.
Immigration and airport officials discussed with the former Prime Minister's legal team to ensure his trip complied with all relevant laws and regulations.
Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, 76, returned to Thailand on August 22, 2023, after more than 15 years of exiledness abroad.
He was sentenced to 8 years in prison in three cases, for abuse of power and conflict of interest while serving as Thai prime minister before 2006. Thaksin's prison sentence was later reduced to one year thanks to a royal pardon.
Immediately after returning to Thailand, Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra was taken to Bangkok Detention Center but was transferred to the Police General Hospital that night, just 13 hours after returning to Thailand.
Thaksin Shinawatra will continue to be hospitalized until early 2024, when he will be pardoned.
