UK Cancels Visas for Thaksin and Pojaman

[Gaybutton]

The following appears in THE NATION:

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UK Cancels Visas of Thaksin, Wife

 

Published on November 8, 2008

 

The British Embassy has revoked entry visas of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Pojaman.

 

The cancellation, which was decided while the couple were outside England, has been notified to airlines yesterday.

 

The decision was made by the United Kingdom Border Agency, and the notification email was signed by Bangkok-based Immigration Liaison Manager Andy Gray.

 

The email read:

 

"Dear All,

 

The United Kingdom Border Agency has revoked the UK visas held by the following Thai nations:

 

Thaksin Shinawatra. Thai Passport Number D215863

 

Potjaman Shinawatra. Thai Passport Number D206635

 

The UK visas contained in the passports of the individuals listed above are no longer valid for travel.

 

Airlines are advised not to carry these passengers to the UK"

 

*** end *****

 

The embassy would not comment on the report. Contacted embassy officials said they "cannot comment on policy matters."

 

It was a big political blow for Thaksin, who was believed to be on his way from China to the Philippines yesterday. It was understood that the cancellation had to do with the recent court rulings that found Pojaman guilty of tax evasion and Thaksin guilty of breaking the conflict of interest law in the Ratchadapisek land purchase scandal.

 

Their children's British visas are still valid.

 

A senior People Power Party politician who has been in China this week answered The Nation's phone contact but replied to the inquiry about Thaksin's visa situation with only "I don't know. I don't know."

 

Thaksin has always described England as a "democratically mature" country as compared to Thailand. But he always denied having applied for asylum although he said England would be the country where he wanted to live in exile.

 

Last Saturday, in a controversial long-distance phone-in from Hong Kong, Thaksin accused his political opponents of breaking his family apart. In the same address, he also begged for royal pardon or a popular show of force to bring him back to Thailand.

 

"Nobody can bring me back to Thailand, except royal kindness of HM the King or the power of the people," Thaksin said. He also claimed that many countries have offered him "honorary citizenship", "which made me a bit sad because I could do many things for anybody else in the world, but nothing now for my country."

 

The statement triggered a major controversy in Thailand, with Thaksin being accused of trying to drag HM the King into politics. The UK visa move, however, gave Thaksin's statement a whole new perspective, making him sound more like someone desperate to find refuge rather than trying to provoke a political reaction.

 

It is not immediately known, however, whether Thaksin was aware of the impending visa cancellation before he left England the last time.

 

A source familiar with the UK legal and diplomatic thinking said the cancellation could have been based on "the different statuses" of Thaksin between the time he was issued the visa and now.

 

The Supreme Court only found Thaksin guilty in the Ratchadapisek land case late last month, weeks after he fled Thailand during the Beijing Olympics. He fled with his wife, who only days earlier had been found guilty of tax evasion.

 

England has been under the world community's watchful eyes when Thaksin is concerned. Diplomatic observers have said a decision whether or not to give Thaksin asylum would generate strong ramifications on England's relations with Thailand, as well as London's reputations when democracy, foreign relations and legal principles are concerned.

 

[Guest]

I do wonder what the Thaskin will do now? What about his team there? Other options for him?

[Guest fountainhall]

I am not sure if the Nation article was scanned or typed on to this thread. If scanned, then it would not have been issued by the UK authorities as it calls Shinawatra and his wife "Thai nations" instead of "nationals". I also doubt if an official UK government directive would start "Dear All".

[Gaybutton]

I also doubt if an official UK government directive would start "Dear All".

 

Since you doubt me, see for yourself:

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/11/08...cs_30087916.php

[fedssocr]

well, he still has his place in Hong Kong, right? I assume he will end up there for a while.

[Guest]

BANGKOK — British immigration officials have revoked the visas of Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister of Thailand, and his wife, several Thai newspapers reported Saturday.

 

Mr. Thaksin has made London his home since being ousted in a coup two years ago, but he was said to be traveling in Asia.

 

A Thai-language newspaper, Manager, posted what it said was an advisory to airlines not to fly Mr. Thaksin and his wife, Pojaman, to Britain. “The U.K. visas contained in the passports of the individuals listed above are no longer valid for travel,” it said.

 

A spokeswoman for the British Foreign Office in London said in a telephone interview that privacy laws precluded the government from commenting on individual immigration cases.

 

Antigovernment protesters celebrated the news on Saturday. In recent weeks, protesters have marched to the British Embassy in Bangkok to demand that Mr. Thaksin, who was sentenced in absentia last month to two years in prison for abuse of power, be deported from Britain.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/08/world/as....html?ref=world

[Guest Steve1903]

How do you think the Thaksin thing will play out in the long run? Will he eventually go back to Thailand? Be sent to prison? Is it something the Thai people themselves talk about?

[Guest lvdkeyes]

How do you think the Thaksin thing will play out in the long run? Will he eventually go back to Thailand? Be sent to prison? Is it something the Thai people themselves talk about?

 

 

I think he will stay out of Thailand unless the King pardons him, but I don't think that will happen.

[Gaybutton]

I also think he will stay out of Thailand. As long as he and/or his wife face the prospect of prison terms, why would he come back? The only way I can see him returning would be if he does eventually receive a royal pardon, a trial in absentia that results in either being found not guilty or a suspended sentence, or something else that could occur to allow him to return with virtual impunity. I don't foresee any of those things happening.

 

Regarding the question about whether Thais are discussing it, if they are, then they're not seeking me out to discuss it. As far as I can tell, they're much more interested in Obama than they are in Thaksin.

[Guest HeyGay]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics...om-Britain.html

 

 

I found it very strange that The Thailand Government had the toxins and their passports ready to face charges then let them go to china for the opening of the olympic games to reveal they have charged tem when they were due back

 

i can only think it is to stop them from being made more Important then they are now, and putting oil on the fire of The Now reds starting more aggressive behavior to bring down the government or force a bloody coup this time.

 

[Guest lvdkeyes]

I also think he will stay out of Thailand. As long as he and/or his wife face the prospect of prison terms, why would he come back? The only way I can see him returning would be if he does eventually receive a royal pardon, a trial in absentia that results in either being found not guilty or a suspended sentence, or something else that could occur to allow him to return with virtual impunity. I don't foresee any of those things happening.

 

Regarding the question about whether Thais are discussing it, if they are, then they're not seeking me out to discuss it. As far as I can tell, they're much more interested in Obama than they are in Thaksin.

 

I may be wrong, but I thought he already had a trial and was sentenced to 2 years in prison. Yes? No?

 

[Guest fountainhall]

Since you doubt me, see for yourself:

 

I would never doubt you GB! I doubted the veracity of the email. But I see from other on line newspapers that this is a misprint in The Nation.

[Guest MonkeySee]

Do you think Thaksin will apply for asylum in the US? I do not think there is much chance of that, although he did attend college in Kentucky and Texas in the 70's.

[Gaybutton]

Apparently, this move by the UK actually makes it even more difficult to force Thaksin back to Thailand. The following appears in the BANGKOK POST:

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The Bad News Is...

 

Revoking the UK visas of Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife, confirmed by the Foreign Ministry on Saturday, will add to the difficulties of bringing the former prime minister home to serve his jail term.

 

Sirisak Tiyaphan, the director-general of the Office of the Attorney-General's International Affairs Department, said a problem emerging from the decision by the United Kingdom to revoke Thak-sin's visa would be tracking his whereabouts from now on.

 

As a first step, police and the Foreign Ministry had to work closely together to locate Thaksin before the government could start the process of applying to his host country to extradite him, Mr Sirisak said.

 

If Thaksin stays in a country which has no extradition agreement with Thailand, the kingdom could possibly make a reciprocal deal with that country, he added.

 

Thaksin had spent most of his time in London with Khunying Potjaman and his family after being ousted in a coup two years ago. He had sought political asylum in the UK.

 

He was sentenced to two years in jail by the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions for conflict of interest when his wife bought government land in 2003.

 

On July 31 the Criminal Court sentenced his wife to three years in prison for tax evasion. The pair have had arrest warrants issued for them.

 

The Office of the Attorney-General has all the evidence it needs to start the extradition process. It had planned to start the process if Thaksin decided not to appeal his case. He has until Nov 20 to make a decision on an appeal.

 

Deputy Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdi said the British embassy in Thailand had confirmed Thaksin and his wife's visas had been cancelled, but refused to give details.

 

"The decision is made under authority of the British government," he said.

 

The Bangkok office of the UK Border Agency at the embassy has alerted airlines about revoking the visas issued to Thaksin and Khunying Potjaman in their diplomatic passports. The information was sent to airlines which were asked not to carry the pair to any destinations in the UK.

 

The couple still have ordinary Thai passports in their possession. Thaksin is in China now, a source in the Thaksin-backed People Power party said Saturday. The government has not decided to cancel Thaksin's diplomatic passport.

 

The issue of his diplomatic passport has been tossed back and forth between the prime minister and the Foreign Ministry. Then foreign minister Tej Bunnag wanted then prime minister Samak Sundaravej to make the decision. But Mr Samak stepped down and now the case has been sent back to the ministry.

 

The ministry was waiting for direction from Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat on the case, the deputy spokesman said.

 

Former ambassador Kasit Piromya said the British decision sent a signal to Thaksin that his chances for political asylum were over and showed the British government respected the Thai judicial system.

 

Other countries which are members of the Commonwealth could follow the example of the UK by not allowing him to enter their countries, he noted.

 

One of the reasons Thaksin was seeking asylum was his claim that he was unfairly treated during the trial.

 

Mr Kasit and several senior members of the Democrat party called on the government to invalidate Thaksin's diplomatic passport. The delay damaged the reputation of the ministry, he added.

 

Thaksin's supporters believe the loss of their visas would pose no problems for him and his wife. His former lawyer Noppadon Pattama said Thaksin would consider staying in countries which welcomed him and his wife.

 

Acting PPP spokesman Kudep Saikrachang claimed many countries were ready to give Thaksin and his wife a place to stay.

 

Thaksin and his wife have reportedly been given honorary citizenship by the Bahamas.

 

(By Post Reporters)

[Guest fountainhall]

Even with what remains of his once fabulous wealth, I doubt that Thaksin is looking forward to exile in The Bahamas or any other state that will take him in. Since he cannot return to Thailand, he obviously wanted to base himself in Britain. Now he's a homeless wanderer. I see a parallel with the Duke of Windsor - the ex King Edward VIII of the UK - who chose marriage to a divorced woman in favour of his 'job' as King, and was forced into a life of exile which, by all accounts, was filled with more than its fair share of anger and sadness. In Thaksin's case, he forgot the old mantra about the corrupting influence of absolute power. Now he pays the price.

[Gaybutton]

Even with what remains of his once fabulous wealth, I doubt that Thaksin is looking forward to exile in The Bahamas or any other state that will take him in.

 

He could end up losing more than just his choice of where he wishes to live. According to the latest news reports Thailand is taking steps to seize a major portion of that wealth. One article says Thailand is considering paying to keep track of his whereabouts and even the possibility of offering a bounty for bringing him back by force. The Philippines has announced they will "politely" reject a plea for political asylum should Thaksin ask for it. Despite all his wealth, I don't think I would want to trade places with him just now.

[Guest MonkeySee]

Even with what remains of his once fabulous wealth, I doubt that Thaksin is looking forward to exile in The Bahamas or any other state that will take him in. Since he cannot return to Thailand, he obviously wanted to base himself in Britain. Now he's a homeless wanderer.

 

I saw this on information on the internet. I am not sure how true it is:

"Fugitive former premier of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra is currently holed up in Beijing, where he's friendly with the government and rumored to be building a US$30 million mansion. Not exactly dire straits, but with the UK revoking his visa to visit Britain, the free world is shrinking for Thaksin as he tries to stay one step ahead of a two-year jail sentence in his homeland.

 

He is also reported to have purchased a property in China, according to a senior source in the People's Power Party who is closely aligned with the former prime minister. He is now believed to be building a mansion worth around $30 million on land near the Pine Valley Golf Course in Beijing owned by one of his business associates. Thaksin has denied the reports."