Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to Attend ASEAN Meetings in Brunei Amidst Travel Restrictions
PUBLISHED: 15 Feb 2025, 15:39
The Criminal Court has granted Thaksin Shinawatra permission to attend an ASEAN meeting in Brunei on February 18-19. This marks the second time the former prime minister has been permitted to leave Thailand after posting a 5-million-baht cash surety.
However, the court denied his requests to visit Vietnam and Cambodia during the same trip. Thaksin will serve as an adviser to the ASEAN chairmanship and has been appointed by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for this role.
Thaksin’s travel restrictions stem from his bail conditions related to ongoing lese-majeste and computer crime charges from a 2015 interview in South Korea. Witness testimony in this trial is scheduled for July.
Reports indicate that the court’s approval was influenced by an official invitation from Anwar through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, similar to a prior visit to Malaysia on February 2-3, where Thaksin consulted with the Malaysian Prime Minister.
Thaksin’s recent travel request was submitted on February 13, and following a court hearing on Friday, he was required to report back within three days of his return to Thailand.
Despite his intentions, both requests to travel to Vietnam and Cambodia were denied by the court, as they were not based on government invitations but rather personal connections.
