Thaksin's visit to Tachilek called off amid security concerns
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Fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra has decided to cancel his visit to Myanmar's border town of Tachilek on Friday but his schedule to visit Myanmar remains unchanged, an informed source said Monday.
Rumours spread on Monday that fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra could cancel his trip to Tachilek as he was worried about his security.
His son, Panthongtae, posted to his Facebook over the weekend that certain groups planned to assassinate Thaksin during his Tachilek visit. He linked the plan to a confiscation of war weapons including RPGs and rifles in a house near a hotel where Thaksin will stay recently.
The source did not give the reasons for the cancellation of the visit.
Meanwhile Thaksin’s legal adviser Noppadon Pattama, said in a statement that he would hold a press conference on Tuesday about the issue, as he is currently on a foreign trip.
He did not respond to the latest reports that Thaksin will not go to Tachilek.
Thaksin, the brother of PM Yingluck Shinawatra is to visit Myanmar from Thursday to Saturday.
He is meeting President Thein Sein in Nay Pyi Taw on his arrival.
On Friday, Thaksin was scheduled to meet with some key Pheu Thai MPs and Thai businesspeople in Tachilek, which is directly across the border from Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district.
Noppadol earlier told the media that Thaksin would first make merit at Shwedagon Pagoda on Saturday morning before meeting with his redshirt supporters, adding that people were advised to spend the night on the Thai side of the border because accommodation is cheaper.
He also said Thaksin would not visit the Dawei deepsea port as reported earlier, and that he was only paying a courtesy call to Thein Sein and would not discuss Dawei or other projects.
