Thaksin in possesion of new Thai passport : FM
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Fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra has already been issued with his new Thai passport, Foreign Ministry's spokesman Thani Thongpakdi said Friday.
The Foreign Ministry issued the passport for Thaksin on October 26 and sent it to him in Abu Dhai, UAE, via diplomatic pouch on the same day, he said.
Earlier Foreign Minister Surapong Tohvichakchaikul said his ministry had repealed the passport ban on Thaksin, which was issued by former foreign minister Kasit Piromya.
The minister said this was done because Thaksin is harmless and is not considered a security risk to the country.
The decision was taken after the ministry’s Consular Affairs department informed him that Thaksin had applied for an ordinary passport via the Thai Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates on October 25. His original passport had been cancelled on April 12, 2009, at the order of Kasit Piromya, foreign minister in the Abhisit government.
The cancellation was ordered under ministerial regulations, which allow for a ban on holding passports for those nationals who do harm to the country.
“However I consider Khun Thaksin as harmless to the country. Therefore, I decided to revoke the order,” Surapong said.
The new government which has Thaksin’s sister; Yingluck, as the prime minister and Surapong of the Pheu Thai party, as the foreign minister, has never hidden its intention to bring back Thaksin to Thailand.
The revocation would enable Thaksin to get his new passport.
Surapong said this was the last time he would talk about the matter as, in his role as foreign minister, he has other duties to attend to, including strengthening relationships with other countries.
