The return of Thaksin - again maybe - this time August 10 - nope Now August 22

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The return of Thaksin - again maybe - this time August 10 - nope Now August 22

Post by Gaybutton »

If this time he does return, in addition to all the repercussions of his return, including possible prison time, it will also be very interesting to see what effect, if any, it has on the Prime Minister election if it has not been settled by then.
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Thaksin to return on Aug 10

by Wassana Nanuam

July 26, 2023

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is set to arrive at Don Mueang airport on Aug 10, his daughter Paetongtarn "Ung Ing" Shinawatra announced on Instagram on Wednesday.

"I can't quite believe what I am typing, my father is returning on Aug 10 at Don Mueang airport," Ms Paetongtarn wrote on her father's 74th birthday.

According to the Pheu Thai Party's prime ministerial candidate, she had missed only three of her father's birthdays, with the latest one being this year, as there were many preparations to be made.

"(Our family) is both glad and worried, but we always respect our father's decisions," Ms Paetongtarn wrote.

She extended her best wishes to her father, hoping for his good health and safety, and that he could fulfil his wish of regularly sending his grandchildren off to school.

Ms Paetongtarn also wrote that her father was a prime minister who was recognised for having the most national contributions, but he also faced hardships and mistreatment.

Thaksin had mentioned his plan to return to Thailand since early last year, she wrote.

Since being overthrown by a military coup on Sept 19, 2006, Thaksin has been living in self-imposed exile, except for a brief visit to the country in 2008. During his absence, the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions sentenced him to a total of 12 years in prison in four cases.

In the first case, Thaksin was found guilty of abuse of authority in his then-wife Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra's purchase of state-owned land in Ratchadaphisek at a price below the market value, resulting in a two-year prison sentence. The 10-year statute of limitations on the court ruling expired in October 2018.

The second case led to a two-year prison sentence for the fugitive former prime minister, as he was found guilty of malfeasance in connection with the two- and three-digit lottery case.

In the third case, Thaksin received a three-year prison sentence for abusing his position by authorising 4 billion baht in loans to Myanmar through the Export-Import (Exim) Bank of Thailand. The funds were used to purchase equipment from a telecoms firm owned by his family.

The fourth case resulted in a five-year prison sentence for him, as the court found him guilty of using nominees to hold shares in Shin Corp, a telecommunications company, which is prohibited for any political office holder.

The statutes of limitation for the court decisions on the second, third and fourth cases have not expired.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/po ... -on-aug-10
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Re: The return of Thaksin - again maybe - this time August 10

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Re: The return of Thaksin - again maybe - this time August 10

Post by Gaybutton »

Thaksin is 74 years old. His return to Thailand means he could be facing prison time, up to 12 years.

My question is why? Why is he risking it? Why now? He certainly is not lacking for money and is able to live a highly privileged lifestyle. Why give that up to face a possibility of 12 years prison time, which also means a possibility of dying in prison? According to news I've read, he has no statute of limitations to fall back on.

Upon arrival will a fleet of luxury vehicles be at the airport to meet him and take him wherever he wishes to go or will he be met by the police and placed upon immediate arrest? Somehow I don't picture him having to stand in an immigration line along with all the other arriving passengers.

My guess is he is either willing to face it for whatever reasons or he has something up his sleeve that will keep him out of prison or any other penalties. In many parts of Thailand he is still highly popular.

Is he going to try to influence the outcome of the Thai election? I don't see him as a supporter of the military considering it was the military that staged the coup against him that overthrew him.

August 10 is little more than 2 weeks away, at the time of this post. So, we'll know what is really going on soon enough. Along with the Thai election brouhaha and now the arrival of Thaksin, if these sorts of things interest you, then now is definitely a very interesting time in Thailand.
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Re: The return of Thaksin - again maybe - this time August 10

Post by Jun »

Given the list of offences for which he has been convicted, jail seems reasonable.

Moving on from that, who is policing the behaviour of the current leaders ?
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Re: The return of Thaksin - again maybe - this time August 10

Post by KeithAmbrose »

It is rumoured that some of Thaksin's children have been discussing common issues with someone in authority.
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Re: The return of Thaksin - again maybe - this time August 10

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'Deal struck on next govt'

by Aekrach Sattaburuth and Wassana Nanuam

July 28, 2023

A political deal involving the formation of a new government has been reached in Hong Kong between ousted prime Thaksin Shinawatra and Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the leader of the Progressive Movement, ahead of Thaksin's plan to return to Thailand, a source in the Pheu Thai Party says.

The source said Mr Thanathorn flew to Hong Kong on Monday morning and returned to Thailand the following day.

"They discussed the possibility of the MFP [Move Forward Party] being excluded from the new government," the source said. The source did not give further details.

The Progressive Movement emerged after the Future Forward Party (FFP), which Mr Thanathorn founded and served as leader, was disbanded over a loan he extended to the party, which the Constitutional Court deemed to be illegal.

While the dissolved outfit re-emerged as the MFP, its key figures -- who were banned from participating in elections -- came together to form the Progressive Movement, which has been helping the MFP campaign for the election.

Thaksin, meanwhile, is widely believed to be Pheu Thai's de facto leader.

The revelation came after MFP secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon dismissed a report on Wednesday which claimed the party's key figures were planning to fly to Hong Kong to meet Thaksin to discuss the preconditions for joining a new government.

When asked if the MFP had any plans to meet Thaksin for talks, Mr Chaithawat insisted that any decision on the formation of a new government must be reached by the eight allies in the coalition.

According to sources, Mr Thanathorn flew to Hong Kong on flight CX700 on Monday and returned to Thailand on flight HX773 on Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, massage parlour tycoon-turned-whistleblower Chuvit Kamolvisit held a press conference on Thursday in which he claimed Pheu Thai had struck a deal with Bhumjaithai and the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) parties to form a government with a combined 279 MPs, excluding the MFP.

He said that key figures of the parties met Thaksin in Hong Kong to strike the deal on Tuesday -- the same day Mr Thanathorn met Thaksin there, Mr Chuvit claimed.

"With the formation of a new coalition, the MFP, the United Thai Nation Party, and the Democrat Party would form the opposition," he said.

A PM candidate nominated by the new coalition bloc would get the support from senators because the MFP would no longer be part of the coalition, Mr Chuvit said.

"The deal is designed to untie the knot [that binds Pheu Thai and the MFP under the MoU they signed]," Mr Chuvit said.

"The MFP failed in its bid to form a government and let Pheu Thai have a go at forming one, [but] Pheu Thai would not succeed, either.

"Bhumjaithai will then be given a chance and succeed. It will also invite other parties [outside the MFP-led bloc] to join the new coalition," he said.

"Pheu Thai and the MFP are bound together. Pheu Thai cannot say it doesn't want to stay with the MFP, so it has to let Bhumjaithai do the work because Bhumjaithai had made it clear from the very beginning that it will not work with the MFP," Mr Chuvit said.

"Pheu Thai would nominate Chaikasem Nitisiri, but he won't get enough support. Bhumjaithai would then take charge of forming a new government," Mr Chuvit said.

Another source said that the leader of the PPRP, Prawit Wongsuwon, has thrown his support behind Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksin's daughter and Pheu Thai PM candidate.

If Pheu Thai nominated her for the next PM vote, senators who have close ties with Gen Prawit would vote for her, the source said.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/po ... -next-govt
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Re: The return of Thaksin - again maybe - this time August 10

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Thaksin can seek royal pardon within 24 hours of starting jail time: Wissanu

By THE NATION

July 28, 2023

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra can apply for a royal pardon soon after he starts serving his jail term on his return to Thailand, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Kreangam said on Thursday.

When asked how many days Thaksin has to wait before applying for a royal pardon, Wissanu said: “That can be done within [the first] 24 hours. But I don’t know if he will do it. I can’t answer this for him.”

According to Wissanu, who is also serving as the caretaker justice minister, the process calls for convicts to submit their written appeal to His Majesty the King for a royal pardon. “But they have to wait for two more years to submit a new appeal if they are not granted a pardon [in their first attempt],” he said.

Wissanu, who is in charge of the government’s legal matters, explained that it is the right of every convict to seek a royal pardon.

Thaksin, who is regarded as the patriarch of the Pheu Thai Party, is expected to return to Thailand soon to serve his jail term for criminal cases stemming from his time in office.

His daughter Paetongtarn, who is one of Pheu Thai’s three prime ministerial candidates, said on Wednesday that Thaksin would return to Thailand on August 10. This was the latest in a series of announcements made by Thaksin and his family about his possible “return home”. Earlier, Thaksin had said he would come back before his birthday on July 26.

Thaksin, 74, has been in exile overseas since August 2008. In October of the same year, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division on Political Office Holders sentenced him in absentia to two years in jail for abusing his power in connection with his wife’s purchase of a state-held land plot at a price much lower than the market value.

Thaksin faces a total of 10 years’ imprisonment in three separate corruption cases stemming from his tenure as prime minister from February 2001 to September 2006. However, the 10-year statute of limitations in one case expired in 2018.

Wissanu said on Thursday that as a convict who is over 70 years old with a history of health issues, Thaksin would be eligible for certain benefits that do not apply to others serving time in prison.

He said the Department of Corrections would make decisions on such matters as a special detention cell or a duty at the prison hospital. “But he cannot be on house arrest. He has to serve his time in prison,” Wissanu added.

He also said that Thaksin’s family can visit him at prison on the first day of his imprisonment.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand ... s/40029745
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Re: The return of Thaksin - again maybe - this time August 10

Post by Gaybutton »

You would be very hard pressed to convince me that Thaksin is returning to Thailand to spend the rest of his life in prison. My guess is arrangements are already in place and already were even before he announced his return to Thailand. If he ends up spending even one full day in jail, I will be very surprised.
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Police to greet Thaksin with warrants

Chief says ‘normal procedures’ will apply to high-profile fugitive, but with added security

July 27, 2023

Police will greet former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra with arrest warrants upon his return to Thailand next week and will bring him to court, the national police chief said on Thursday.

As it has been reported that Thaksin would land at Don Mueang airport on Aug 10, Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas said that a team of Metropolitan Police Bureau and Immigration officers would meet him at the airport and show warrants for his arrest.

If Thaksin arrives on a private jet at Wing 6 in Don Muang district, police will meet him there. In either case, officers will then bring the former prime minister to the Don Muang police station where his arrest will be documented, Pol Gen Damrongsak said.

Afterwards police will bring Thaksin to court.

If the court is closed, he will be brought to a special detention facility in the Royal Thai Police Sports Club in Bang Khen district. Police have already prepared a facility for that purpose if needed, the national police chief said.

Pol Gen Damrongsak said he had assigned his assistant, Pol Lt Gen Prachuap Wongsuk, to oversee safety and traffic management for the arrival of the high-profile fugitive.

“There are normal procedures to receive people wanted under arrest warrants. There will not be any special treatment for anyone,” Pol Gen Damrongsak said.

“Police will do their best to take care of suspects to prevent any unexpected incident, especially any surprise attack,” he added.

Thaksin has spent almost all of the last 17 years outside the country since being overthrown in a coup in Sept 2006. He faces prison terms totalling 10 years for convictions in three cases (see graphic below).

He will be eligible to seek a royal pardon within 24 hours of being jailed, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said on Thursday.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... h-warrants
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Re: The return of Thaksin - again maybe - this time August 10

Post by Gaybutton »

The plot thickens. Will Thaksin return or won't he? According to Chuvit, Thailand's most well known whistle-blower, he won't.
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Chuvit insists Thaksin will not return soon

Whistleblower debunks talk of applying for pardon within 24 hours, saying ex-pm is being deceived

July 29, 2023

Anyone who believes fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will return to Thailand on Aug 10 to face prison time is mistaken, according to political whistleblower Chuvit Kamolvisit.

It would be wrong to think that police and royal guards will be at Don Mueang airport to receive the de facto leader of the Pheu Thai Party and take him to prison to start serving a combined jail term of 10 years, Mr Chuvit said in a Facebook post on Saturday.

The ousted premier would not have waited for 15 or 16 years if he actually wanted to return, said the former massage parlour tycoon.

Mr Chuvit caused an online stir on Friday night when he posted a message saying Thaksin’s plans had changed because a new situation had arisen. He did not elaborate.

The ex-premier’s daughter Paetongtarn “Ung Ing” Shinawatra, a Pheu Thai prime ministerial candidate, called the whistleblower’s remark “baseless”. Plans for her father’s Aug 10 return were still in place, she said.

Since being overthrown by a military coup on Sept 19, 2006, Thaksin has been living in self-imposed exile, except for a brief visit to the country in 2008. During his absence, he was sentenced to a total of 12 years in prison in four cases. The statute of limitations has expired in one case, leaving three convictions that carry terms totalling 10 years that he must serve.

Mr Chuvit said that Thaksin’s announced return on Aug 10 must involve a “special agenda” due to the intense political climate surrounding the voting for a new prime minister and the setting up of a new administration.

Mr Chuvit said people can apply for a royal pardon on the first day they enter prison, but this applies to ordinary lawbreakers, not those at the “prime minister” level.

It would be crazy to think that the same rule applies to influential lawbreakers because they need special care from the Corrections Department due to safety concerns, and they cannot be mixed with other inmates, he said.

“To petition for a royal pardon for a personal crime, it is left to the royal prerogative,” Mr Chuvit wrote. “No one has ever received a royal pardon, except for Section 112 (lese-majeste) offences.”

Those who have committed crimes like corruption, robbery and fraud have never been granted a royal pardon, he said.

“If anyone told Thaksin that it’s possible, it’s a plan to deceive him.”

The former politician advised Thaksin to cancel his plan to return to the country indefinitely, or until a new government is formed.

Mr Chuvit said he was not angry at Ms Paetongtarn for disputing his claim.

“I’m not angry because I understand that she wishes her father to return home,” he wrote.

On Friday, Mr Chuvit posted a message on Facebook saying: “The game has taken a twist. Thaksin is retreating and has cancelled his plans to return to Thailand. The situation has changed.” He ended with a hashtag “deceived again and again”.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/po ... eturn-soon
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Re: The return of Thaksin - again maybe - this time August 10

Post by Gaybutton »

Why what a surprise!
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Thaksin Shinawatra’s return to Thailand delayed amid prime ministerial vote postponement

by Mitch Conner

August 4, 2023

The return of Thaksin Shinawatra, former prime minister of Thailand and reputed de facto head of the Pheu Thai Party, has been delayed. The strategy appears aimed at facilitating his smooth return, once a government led by his party comes into play, disclosed an unnamed source within Pheu Thai yesterday.

The initial return plan for Thaksin was for Thursday, August 10. The announcement made by his daughter, Paetongtarn “Ung Ing” Shinawatra, on Instagram, specified his arrival at the Don Mueang Airport the subsequent Thursday.

This return strategy for Thaksin has, however, been altered following the postponement of the prime ministerial vote which was initially scheduled to take place today. The electoral process has been interrupted while the Constitutional Court deliberates on Pita Limjaroenrat’s eligibility. The leader of the Move Forward Party (MFP) lost the first vote due to his opinion on altering Section 112 of the Criminal Code, a provision also recognised as the lese majeste law.

Meanwhile, the coalition-building attempts of the Pheu Thai, with Thaksin as a proposed leader, are also ongoing. Interactions with the Bhumjaithai, Chartthaipattana, and Democrat parties show promise, whilst there are still negotiations pending with the United Thai Nation (UTN) Party and the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP). Although larger party affiliations are yet to be decided, there are a number of micro-party affiliations that can provide a much-needed push to the faction.

Pichit Tamoon, an eminent part of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship’s Chiang Mai chapter, sees the announcement regarding the return of the 74 year old Thaksin as a strategy to garner support from sympathisers of the Pheu Thai faction reported Bangkok Post.

“I don’t think Thaksin will return home anytime soon, out of safety concerns. There are plenty of people who hate him.

“Red-shirt supporters will be disappointed if he does not return, but we’re getting used to it, as we have been waiting for about 20 years. It is up to him to decide when to return.”

Police General Damrongsak Kittiprapas, the national police chief, revealed that the police have not received any confirmation yet about the plan for Thaksin.

Thaksin left Thailand to evade a verdict by the Supreme Court in 2008. The high court convicted him for aiding his wife at that time, Khunying Potjaman Na Pombejra, in an illicit property acquisition in Ratchadaphisek, while he was active as the prime minister of the country.

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/th ... stponement
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