Saturday, 12 December 2009

Thaksin to visit Asian nations



Dec 12, 2009

(Posted by CAAI News Media)

BANGKOK - FUGITIVE former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra announced on Saturday on his online Twitter page that he will make a week-long trip to visit three Asian countries.

His visit to Cambodia last month, to take up an economic advisory role with the government, caused a diplomatic row after Cambodian premier Hun Sen refused to extradite Thaksin to Thailand to serve a two-year jail term for graft.

'I have asked permission to visit and exchange views with three leaders in Asia for seven to eight days,' Thaksin said on his Twitter page, giving no further details.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Friday responded to rumours that Thaksin was planning a return to neighbouring Cambodia and said the government would probably submit another extradition request if he did so.

'If he enters our airspace we will try to arrest him because he is facing a jail term. We are likely to request for his extradition once again,' Mr Abhisit told reporters.

On Friday Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni pardoned Thai national Siwarak Chothipong, who had been sentenced to seven years in prison for spying on Thaksin during his visit to Phnom Penh. The 31-year-old employee at the Cambodia Air Traffic Service will be released from prison on Monday, following his conviction last Tuesday for supplying Thaksin's flight schedule to the Thai embassy. -- AFP

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