Thaksin Goes Into Exile

Samak vows to defend Thaksin - The Nation, August 19, 2008
[Notable for Wasit's humorous comment.]
...When Samak arrived, he complained about the heavy presence of reporters and cameramen. MP Wasit, who is close to Thaksin's politician sister Yaowapa Wongsawat, was heard saying: "They just want to photograph someone who rarely attends party meetings."...

Run, Thaksin, run - Economist, August 14, 2008
...Right up until the early evening on August 10th, the deposed prime minister’s spokesman was insisting that the couple would return that day to Bangkok, to appear in court the next morning...

Inoculating Thailand against one-man rule - IHT, August 13, 2008
...Thaksin bought his popularity and the support of the rural poor in Thailand. He purchased or intimidated media outlets. He countenanced extra-judicial assassinations as a tool for waging a highly publicized war on drugs while leaving alone the drug lords in neighboring Burma, who are the source of that trade. He provoked popular protest when he sold his family's 49 percent share in the Shin telecommunications company for $1.9 billion to a Singaporean company and claimed exemption from any capital gains tax. And he is currently fleeing charges that he used his power to secure insider deals on real-estate purchases for family members...

Text of Thaksin's letter to the media - Bangkok Post, August 11, 2008
...What happened to myself and my family was like the fruit from poisonous trees. The fruit was also poisonous. What I mean is that there has been a continuation of dictatorship in Thai politics under the democratic system. That was followed by interference in the judicial process. My cases have been pre-judged, to get rid of me and my family, who are regarded by a group of people as their political enemies, irrespective of the law and international principles of justice. My family and I have been continually treated unfairly...

Right: August 11, 18:15 - CNN reporting on Thaksin in exile
Top: Dan Rivers holding up Thaksin's handwritten statement
Middle: Sondhi commenting that Thaksin should return and face the court
Bottom: Dan Rivers agrees that the government was "naive" in letting Thaksin out of the country

August 11, 11:55 - Thaksin announces his decision to seek asylum in England

August 11, 10:10 - Lawyer says no contact from Thaksin, wife
A lawyer of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife, Pojama, said Monday the couple had not contacted him yet...

August 11, 7:24 - Ex- to exile?: Former PM and wife no-shows on THAI flight
...an official airline source said the three Thaksin children -- Panthongtae, Pinthongta and Paethongtan -- departed Bangkok for London on Saturday. It was also noted the the children had been in tears when their parents left Suvarnabhumi for Beijing...

Overnight - Thai PM Thaksin flies to London rather than face corruption charges - Daily Mail, August 10, 2008

Overnight - Missing Person Alert - Where Is Frank? - Vital Manchester City, August 11, 2008

August 11, 00:15 - Thaksin fleeing to England?
From The Nation: ...People's Power Party MP Pracha Prasopdee told people awaiting to see Thaksin at Suvarabhumi Airport that Thaksin would not return home last night.
He possibly came back Monday morning and go directly to the Supreme Court.
Samut Prakarn MP Pracha said people should go home.
Pracha said said tongue in cheek that Thaksin could issue a statement from London why he did not go to Bangkok as scheduled. He did not elaborate...

August 10, 23:01 - "Thaksin statement from London at 9:00 am"
Thai-language media are reporting that Thaksin will be making a statement from London at 9:00 am. This would appear to indicate that he and his family have left for exile overseas.

August 10, 16:44 - Lawyer says Thaksin, wife will appear in court Monday - TNA, August 10, 2008
...Lawyer Kamnuan Chalopatham said Mr. Thaksin and Mrs. Pojaman Shinawatra would appear at the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions to fight charges on the Bangkok land scandal...

Thread on the 2B forum

Remembering Thaksin...