Asylum for Thaksin?

[Flashermac]

Sez the BP:

 

 

<< The couple were to catch Thai Airways International Flight 615, due to arrive in Bangkok at 9:45pm today.

 

But TG615 left on time from Beijing, an airline official said, without the high-level passengers on board.

 

They are due in court tomorrow morning, an appointment that will be difficult to meet if they missed the last TG flight of the day.

 

The couple attended the opening of the Olympic Games on Friday evening.

 

Rumours they will go into exile dominated Bangkok political circles last week. Their spokesmen have repeatedly said the duo will be back and make their court appearance.

 

But on Sunday, both Pongthep Thepkanchana and Sansanee Nakpong were unavailable. >>

 

 

[samak]

and the Nation:

 

ASYLUM RUMOURS

 

Thaksin to seek exile in England?

By The Nation

 

Thaksin and his wife failed to return to Bangkok on Sunday, sparking wild rumours that the couple might be planning an exile in England.

 

 

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife; Khunying Pojaman Shinawatra failed to board a Thai International Airway Sunday afternoon flight from Beijing to return to Bangkok as earlier scheduled.

 

People Power Party sources said there were rumours the couple and their children would be seeking exile in England. The sources said it was understood that Thaksin and Pojaman were already on their way to England where they would meet their children. These claims cannot be immediately verified.

 

Their no-show at the Chinese airport send Thai media outlets scrambling to check flight schedules and fuelling earlier speculation that the couple would never return from their trip to China following a guilty court verdict on Pojaman recently and a looming court ruling the couple in connection with the Ratchadapisek land case.

 

 

 

A THAI official source that the couple did not show up at Bejing airport to board TG 615 flight which left Bejing at 5.35pm Sunday. The flight is scheduled to arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport at 9.45pm.

 

The next THAI filight is on Monday morning which arrives BKK at noon Monday, which means that even if they will be on this flight, they will miss a schedule to testify in court on 9am.

 

China Airlines does not have flights that land in Thailand Sunday night. Air China International has a 10.30 pm flight to Bangkok from Beijing.

 

Thaksin was in Beijing to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic on Friday.

 

He is due to return to Bangkok to testify on Monday in a Supreme Court's hearing on the Rachadaphisek land-purchase deal, in which both Thaksin and Pojaman have been accused of abuse of power by taking part in the bidding for land owned by the Financial Institutions Development Fund, a unit of the Bank of Thailand.

 

Rumours had spread that they might not return home after Khunying Pojaman was sentenced to three years imprisonment for avoiding paying Bt546-million tax. Rumour mill said that they might seek political asylum in a foreign country.

 

The couple's legal aides and personal spokespersons earlier on Sunday denied Thaksin and Pojaman were planning an exile, saying they would arrive back in time for the testimony. Later Sunday evening, the likes of Pongthep Thepkanchana, Sansanee Nakpong and Sitha Thiwaree did not answer reporters' phone calls.

 

Reporters on Sunday evening were also trying to confirm reports that Thaksin's children had left Thailand

[samak]

 

those guys have no clue! China Airlines is based in Taiwan!

[dullnight]

Would they be granted political asylum in UK if they tried? I understand they could sweeten the deal to UK authorities but that would likely be a public outry if the case is mediatised. The charges pressed against them don't seem unreasonnable.

[Lord Toad]

It would be a tricky situation in the UK. Others have escaped extradition to Thailand by saying they would not get a fair trail. It is by no means clear what would happen. With Pojam being convicted they would have to say the trail was unfair and biased: I am not sure that would work,

But the big if might be would Thailand actually ask for him back. I suspect this government would be disinclined.

 

[kamui]

Thai PM Thaksin flies to London rather than face corruption charges

 

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 6:47 PM on 10th August 2008

 

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has today flown back to London on the eve of facing multiple corruption charges in Bangkok.

 

The billionaire was due to return to Bangkok after watching the opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing, but MP Pracha Pasobdee told reporters at the airport he had spoken to a Thaksin aide who said the former prime minister would be making a statement 'via the foreign media' at 2am tomorrow from London.

 

That is the same time that Thaksin, who owns Premier League Manchester City, and his wife are meant to report to courts under bail conditions set in various corruption cases against them.

Thaksin and Pojaman Shinawatra

 

If true, his decision not to return to fight a series of cases would signal a significant easing of the political tension that has dogged the government and Thai markets for the last three years.

 

 

More:

Daily Mail

[Sporty]

It would be a tricky situation in the UK. Others have escaped extradition to Thailand by saying they would not get a fair trail. It is by no means clear what would happen. With Pojam being convicted they would have to say the trail was unfair and biased: I am not sure that would work,

But the big if might be would Thailand actually ask for him back. I suspect this government would be disinclined.

 

Yes, I agree, plolitical asylum, does not seem to apply. He is the actual OWNER, of the ruling party. How you own, a political party, is somthing I did not understand, to start with, but it has been stated that way in the press, several times.

 

Khunying Potjamarn, has already been convicted, being a no show, for tomorrow, is an outragous offense and a reason for additional prison time, and immediate lock up, in any country.

 

In absenture, I thnk it will not be hard to convict Khun Thaksin, of all charges, pending.

 

If asked, I think England, will give him back, to Thailand.

 

 

[Sporty]

 

If true, his decision not to return to fight a series of cases would signal a significant easing of the political tension that has dogged the government and Thai markets for the last three years.

 

More:

Daily Mail

 

Hmmm, time will tell, but I do not see this easing anything, for a long time.

 

[samak]

from Bangkok Post:

 

Ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra and Khunying Potjamarn have fled to London and will not be back for their court cases, a close supporter said on Sunday after the couple failed to catch their scheduled flight back from Beijing to Bangkok.

 

The couple were to catch Thai Airways International Flight 615, which arrived on time at Bangkok at 9:45pm on Sunday - without the high-level passengers on board.

 

Reports they would catch another flight looked like disinformation. People Power party MP Pracha Prasobdee said the couple would not return, despite promises from them and their spokesmen, including Mr Pracha himself.

 

The Samut Prakan MP told reporters at Suvarnabhumi airport that Mr Thaksin will make a statement from London at 9am Thailand time on Monday, an hour before he and his wife were ordered to return and report to the Supreme Court on charges they face separately and together.

 

The couple were due to report to the Supreme Courtâ??s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions on Monday morning for a hearing on their trials in the Ratchadaphisek land deal.

 

Two other cases against Mr Thaksin - the digit lottery case and the Exim Bank soft loan to Burma - are pending in the same court.

 

Five other cases against Mr Thaksin and his cronies are with the Office of the Attorney-General.

 

Flight to London and semi-permanent exile may cause Mr Thaksin and his wife to lose their bail and even cost them them 69 billion baht in frozen funds, it might also be good for the country.

 

"If Thaksin really doesn't come back, the conflict in our country will lessen, which implies that our prolonged political trouble will come to an end soon," Kavee Chukitkasem, head of research at Bangkok brokerage Kasikorn Securities, said.

 

"The markets should definitely rise tomorrow," he added.

 

Last Thursday, the Stock Exchange of Thailand surged by 4 per cent on rumours the couple would be headed into exile. Business circles, at least, believe political tension will easy significantly if the couple stay away for a lengthy time.

 

Thaksin lawyers were quoted by NBT TV news as saying the couple would be represented in court on Monday morning as scheduled - but did not say they would be there in person.

 

They do not need to be present for the land trial to continue on schedule for now.

 

Kriangkrai Juengjaturapit, chief judge of the Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions, said if the couple fail to turn up today their lawyers must offer an explanation to the court.

 

"If there are no reasons given, or the reasons are not good enough, the court will consider that they have the intention of fleeing and they will face arrest warrants," Mr Kriangkrai said.

 

The court would then continue the trial of the couple in absentia until a verdict is given, he said.

 

If the couple fail to appear on the day the verdict is given, the reading of the verdict will be adjourned for 30 days.

 

After that, if the two still do not show up, the court will read out the verdict in their absence, Mr Kriangkrai said.

 

"Until now, there have been no reports that Thaksin and Khunying Potjaman will report to the court, or that they will lodge a request to go overseas," Mr Kriangkrai said.

 

The lawyers told NBT on Sunday Mr Thaksin had ordered his legal team to prepare to fight all charges against him, including the two- and three-digit lottery case, and the four billion baht loan granted to Burma.

 

The deposed premier also ordered the legal team to prepare to file lawsuits against core leaders of the Peopleâ??s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and Kraisak Choonhavan, a Democrat party list MP and former senator, on defamation charges.

 

Their son and daughter, Mr Panthongtae and Miss Pinthongta, had earlier flown to England to meet their parents, a Thai newspaper reported.

 

Mr Thaksin and Khunying Potjamarn had attended the opening of the Olympic Games on Friday evening.

 

Rumours they were preparing to go into exile dominated Bangkok political circles last week. Their spokesmen have repeatedly said the duo will be back and make their court appearance and lawyers encouraged that charade by detailing alleged plans to ask the court for permission for another trip abroad..

 

But on Sunday, both Pongthep Thepkanchana and Sansanee Nakpong were unavailable, their mobile phones switched off and their credibility likely ruined.

[samak]

now things are getting very interesting!

 

a couple of questions:

 

- it is obvious that court and polticians in charge were aware of the possiblity that Thaksin and Pojamarn could choose not to return to Thailand and escape prosecution. so who pulled the strings that they could leave the country. did they intentionally go for this solution to let everybody involved safe face?

- is this really the best solution and will the political tension really ease after Thaksin's escape?

- if UK can not give Thaksin and his wife Asylum as they are simply criminal on the run, will Thailand ask UK government for extradition?

- PPP is still Thaksin's party with the objective to bring Thaksin back to power. as this got now totally out of range, will they change their objective or is this the beginning of the end for PPP?