Foreign media reports Thaksin’s sudden departure ahead of Supreme Court ruling

The case could lead to his imprisonment, and his sudden flight has sparked speculation that he may be avoiding a jail sentence.

Thaksin’s departure occurred just a day before the Thai Parliament was set to vote on the selection of a new prime minister and form a new government on Friday. It is widely anticipated that Thaksin’s political party, Pheu Thai, founded by him, may lose its power in the new government.

The 76-year-old Thaksin had been in self-imposed exile for 15 years following a military coup in 2006. His daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, became Thailand’s youngest-ever prime minister last year but was ousted from office last week for breaching ethical standards.

CNN reports that, over the past 25 years, Thaksin has built one of the country’s most successful political dynasties, with candidates supported by him winning almost every election since 2001.

Private jet heads to Dubai via Singapore

Thaksin posted on social media in the morning, stating that he planned to fly to Singapore for a medical check-up. However, he was reportedly delayed at Thai immigration for several hours. 

According to reports, his private jet left Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok just after 7.00pm after immigration officials confirmed that there was no court order preventing him from leaving the country.

The flight tracker revealed that the Bombardier Global 7500 jet (T7GTS), which was initially headed for Singapore, veered west, made several loops, and eventually headed towards India before redirecting to Dubai.

Thaksin later confirmed that the flight was rerouted to Dubai after the pilot was informed that it was too late to land at Singapore’s Seletar Airport, which closes at 10.00pm local time.

CNN provided a retrospective look at Thaksin’s time in exile following his 2006 ousting. During his time away, Thaksin lived in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and other locations to avoid prison for alleged abuses of power and corruption during his tenure as prime minister.

Despite his absence from Thailand, he continued to play a key role in the country’s politics. It is believed that his sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, acted as a puppet prime minister while he remained the true architect of the government. 

However, her tenure ended after the court ruled for her removal, followed by a military coup in 2014. Thaksin’s brother-in-law briefly governed Thailand during his absence as well.