Many in Thailand spent Thursday evening glued to flight tracking websites, avidly following the path of Thaksin’s private jet.
News that he was at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport broke early on Thursday evening, with local media reporting he had been stopped by immigration. He planned to visit Singapore for two days for a medical appointment, Thai outlets reported.
His plane took off after authorities confirmed that he did not have any court order prohibiting him from leaving the country, police said in a statement.
As he left Thailand, social media was flooded with speculation. Many wondered if Thaksin might instead head to Dubai, where he previously lived in self-imposed exile to avoid legal charges for abuse of power and conflicts of interest.
His trip abroad comes just days before a court is due to rule in a legal case that could result in him being sent to jail – and the night before parliament was set to decide who should replace his ousted daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra as prime minister.
Tens of thousands tracked his plane online, as it flew from Bangkok down through the Gulf of Thailand, then crossing through Malaysia. But rather than stopping in Singapore, the plane suddenly turned west, and looped in two circles.
Thai media interviewed aviation experts on air, analysing the flight path, the amount of fuel carried and its possible destination, as the story led the news bulletins.
“Dear Passenger, your captain is flying in circles to entertain Flightradar viewers, please wave your hands,” joked one social media user. Then the plane began to fly in the direction of India.
Thaksin previously spent more than 15 years in exile to avoid legal charges, and returned to Thailand only in 2023, after striking an uneasy deal with his old enemies in the military royalist establishment. The deal was mutually beneficial, with the two sides forming a government to keep a popular, youthful pro-reform party out of power.
Thaksin was sentenced to eight years in prison upon his return to Thailand, which was commuted to one year by the king. He spent less than 24 hours in prison after citing health problems, instead staying six months in a VIP hospital wing, before being released on parole.
That arrangement is now the subject of a court case, due to be decided next week. It’s possible he could be returned to prison, if judges deem that he has not yet adequately served out his sentence.
Early on Friday morning, Thaksin wrote on social media that he would return to Thailand no later than Monday, and that he would attend court in person on Tuesday to hear the judgment handed down.
Thaksin responded to online speculation by saying he had intended to travel to Singapore for a medical checkup with a doctor he had seen previously while living abroad. “Thai immigration delayed me for nearly two hours,” he said, adding this happened despite him having the right to travel.
The delay prevented him from landing at Singapore’s Seletar Airport, which is used for private jets, as the airport only operates until 10pm, he said.
“Since I couldn’t land in Singapore, I decided to have the pilot change my plans to Dubai. I have long-time orthopedic and pulmonary doctors in Dubai, and I also had the opportunity to visit friends in Dubai whom I hadn’t seen in over two years,” Thaksin wrote, saying his pilot had circled in the sky while waiting for permission from the airport in Dubai.
On social media, speculation about his family’s broader prospects continued. On Friday, Thailand’s parliament is due to vote in a new prime minister, with the royalist conservative politician Anutin Charnvirakul expected to win in a race again Chaikasem Nitisiri, a candidate from Thaksin’s Pheu Thai party.
Credit: The guardian
