Pheu Thai questions govt source of

By Panya Thiewsangwan,

Kesinee Taengkhio

The Nation

Published on November 23, 2009

(CAAI News Media)

The opposition Pheu Thai Party yesterday questioned the government over its source for the flight plan of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra if it was not obtained from the Thai employee being held in Cambodia on charges of spying.

Thaksin's private plane had been granted permission to fly through Thai airspace to Cambodia and on the way back during his visit from November 10-14.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban said he instructed the Civil Aviation Department to revoke permission for Thaksin's return flight from Cambodia to Dubai.

"If I knew at the beginning that Thaksin flew by that plane, I would have forced him to land in Thailand. He would have had no chance to arrive in Cambodia," Suthep told reporters.

Pheu Thai MP Anudit Nakhonthap, a former F-16 pilot, wondered how Suthep managed to know that Thaksin was on flight CL30 so that he could ban it from passing over Thai territory.

Thaksin's flight information caused a conflict with Cambodia as Phnom Penh detained Siwarak Chotipong on suspicion of stealing Thaksin's flight plan and leaking it to Bangkok.

Siwarak works for a Thai-owned company, Cambodia Aviation Traffic Service, which is now under the control of Cambodian authorities.

"Unless Suthep wanted Siwarak to be a scapegoat, he should disclose his source of information to the public and Cambodian authorities," Anudit said.

To get permission to fly over any country, pilots are not required to give out the passenger manifest, he said, adding that he would grill Suthep on the matter in Parliament on Thursday.

Although Thaksin did not enter Thai airspace, Anudit claimed that Thai F-16 and F-5 fighter jets fully loaded with weapons were ordered to tail his aircraft as he took off from Cambodia on November 14.

Monthon Satchukorn, a deputy Air Force spokesman, dismissed the allegation.

"We flew our jets for routine surveillance on the day when Thaksin took off but we did not follow him as he did not fly over our territory," he said.