PUBLISHED : 22 Aug 2023 at 05:41
Ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra will be taken to the Supreme Court to hear rulings in three cases he was convicted of before being sent to serve jail time when he returns home on Tuesday after 15 years of self-imposed exile.
His family, thousands of supporters and throngs of journalists will turn up at Don Mueang Airport, where his private jet is scheduled to land at about 9am. Thaksin reportedly flew from Dubai to Singapore on Saturday ahead of Tuesday’s trip.
National police chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas on Monday confirmed Thaksin’s planned return before Thaksin himself posted on X, formerly Twitter, that “Tomorrow at 9am I request permission to return to live on the same soil and breathe the same air with Thai people.”
Judiciary spokesman Sorawit Limparangsi said on Monday Thaksin is expected to arrive at the Supreme Court opposite Sanam Luang at 10.30am to hear the ruling at which only he and his family members are permitted to be present.
The hearing will not be broadcast, and members of the press will be kept outside the court compound to ensure order, he said, adding OB trucks must be parked on the Sanam Luang side.
The answer to the question of how many years Thaksin will spend in jail remains in the court’s hands, and a press release will be issued after the hearing, according to Mr Sorawit.
Thaksin faces jail sentences of 10 years in three cases in which he was convicted in absentia by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.
A source said the ex-premier will arrive on a Gulfstream jet, his latest aircraft, at the VIP landing zone, and the plane will depart Don Mueang at 10.05am.
Pol Gen Damrongsak said on Monday police have made preparations to take Thaksin to the Supreme Court, and after his court appearance, he will be handed over to the Corrections Department and be taken to prison.
When asked about the rumour that former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin’s younger sister, would travel to Thailand with him, Pol Gen Damrongsak said he had not been informed about her.
Yingluck fled the country in 2017, shortly before the Supreme Court sentenced her to five years in jail for failing to halt her government’s corruption-plagued rice-pledging scheme.
Assistant police chief Pol Lt Gen Prachuap Wongsuk said the Airports of Thailand was ready for his return to face jail time. He said crowds are expected at every stop Thaksin would make, and police would be deployed to facilitate traffic and provide security.
Pol Lt Gen Prachuap on Monday called a meeting with representatives from agencies concerned, including the Corrections Department and the Supreme Court, to prepare for Thaksin’s journey from the airport to the prison.
The assistant police chief proceeded to inspect preparations at the Supreme Court, Bangkok Remand Prison and Don Mueang Airport after the meeting.
Bangkok Remand Prison announced on Monday that no in-person visits would be allowed on Tuesday due to Thaskin’s much-anticipated arrival and gathering of large crowds.
Several thousand of Thaksin’s die-hard supporters in the Northeast left their provinces Monday night for Bangkok. They are scheduled to meet at Don Mueang airport at 4am on Tuesday.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksin’s daughter who marked her 37th birthday on Monday, thanked supporters who went to the Pheu Thai Party headquarters to wish her a happy birthday and congratulated her on Thaksin’s return.
Don Mueang Airport on Monday urged media outlets that want to cover Thaksin’s return to register by 4pm on Monday and comply with some requirements to avoid disturbing passengers.
Social media was also abuzz with #Thaksinreturns and speculation about his trip, which coincides with the prime minister vote. Several observers reckoned that Thaksin’s decision to return was due to his confidence in Pheu Thai succeeding in forming a government.