Thaksin (centre) exiting the Criminal Court in Bangkok on Friday morning. - The Nation/ANN
BANGKOK: The Criminal Court on Friday (Jan 31) allowed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to travel abroad for a meeting in Malaysia on Feb 2-3, on payment of a 5-million-baht bond.
Thaksin showed up at the court in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district to attend the consideration of his request. The court did not allow unrelated persons to attend the hearing.
Police had been deployed around the court to ensure security.
The former PM’s Mercedes-Benz left the Criminal Court at 10.50am. The vehicle took an exit on the Civil Court’s side to avoid the press who were waiting in front of the Criminal Court.
In its statement issued at 2.50pm, the court said Thaksin’s request was supported by the foreign minister who assured that the request would not affect investigation into the ex-PM’s lese majeste case, which prevents him from travelling abroad without approval.
The minister also made the case that Thaksin’s travel would benefit Thailand and build a good relationship between the two countries.
Apart from a 5-million-baht bond, the Criminal Court has ordered Thaksin to report himself to the court and immigration officers within three days after returning from Malaysia.
At 3.27pm, Thaksin returned to the Criminal Court again to sign a contract for travelling abroad.
Thaksin smiled at the press and said he was going to Malaysia for work, not on a holiday.
When asked who had invited him to Malaysia, he replied: "You know who he is" before leaving the court in his car.
Thaksin faces criminal charges for violating the lese majeste law arising from an interview with South Korean media in 2015.
The Criminal Court confiscated his passport and mandated that he request permission for any travel abroad as a condition of his bail, which was set at 500,000 baht in June last year.
Malaysia is chairing Asean this year, and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim appointed Thaksin as an informal adviser in December last year. - The Nation/ANN
