Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin makes surprise departure ahead of a risky court ruling
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
New Jersey man breakdances during town hall meeting
A New Jersey town council member started breakdancing in the middle of a town hall meeting. Will Thilly can be seen dancing up to the podium on Tuesday (2 September)
In a recording released by Cranford TV 35, Will Thilly can be seen dancing up to the podium on Tuesday (2 September).
“Mr. Thilly, I’ve started your time,” an official says as Thilly dances without music.
“Did you know I can do the backspin?” Thilly asks later. He proceeds to spin on his back and fails to get the other members to applaud.
‘Sleep under the stars’: hotel mess in Brazil ahead of UN meet
“COP30 Hotel” has zero bookings for the UN climate conference due to take place in November. Hotel’s eye-watering initial rates — a cool $1,200 per night — were a turnoff. Organizers scramble to find alternative accommodation in private homes, universities and schools. As many as 50,000 people were expected to attend COP30, though organizers say only 68 of the 198 participating countries have secured their reservations.. The COP, added the Climate Observatory, could turn out to be “the most exclusive in history” for the first-ever climate COP (Conference of Parties) to be held in the Amazon.. It is a symbolic setting given the rainforest’s critical role in absorbing planet-warming carbon dioxide, but also a challenging one. More than half of Belem’s 1.4 million residents live in shantytowns.
The owners had been hoping to cash in on the conference by filling all the rooms with foreign delegates.
But the hotel’s eye-watering initial rates — a cool $1,200 per night, which it later lowered to try to drum up business — were a turnoff.
Advertisement Advertisement
Advertisement Advertisement
Delegations from governments, NGOs and civil society have repeatedly urged Brazil to put a limit on accommodation costs that have soared for the first-ever climate COP (Conference of Parties) to be held in the Amazon.
It is a symbolic setting given the rainforest’s critical role in absorbing planet-warming carbon dioxide, but also a challenging one.
More than half of Belem’s 1.4 million residents live in shantytowns — the highest rate of any regional capital in Brazil.
And with a shortage of traditional hotel rooms, conference organizers have scrambled to find alternative accommodation in private homes, universities and schools, and even two cruise ships docked in the harbor some 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the conference center.
Advertisement Advertisement
Advertisement Advertisement
As many as 50,000 people were expected to attend COP30, though organizers say only 68 of the 198 participating countries have secured their reservations.
“This has never happened at a COP. Normally, everyone has their accommodation sorted three months in advance,” Marcio Astrini of the NGO Climate Observatory told AFP.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has batted away concerns, saying in February that delegates can “sleep under the stars.”
– Most exclusive COP? –
A free-for-all ensued as Belem residents seek to profit from the one-off event that saw an investment of some $700 million in public infrastructure, including a convention center.
Advertisement Advertisement
Advertisement Advertisement
“Prices spiraled out of control,” conceded COP30 Hotel manager Alcides Moura, adding that “Belem never hosted an event of this magnitude.”
Ronaldo Franca, a 65-year-old pensioner, is one of several property owners hoping to make a quick buck by renting out his weekend house, some 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) from the conference venue.
For a property with three double bedrooms and a swimming pool, he is charging $370 per night.
“I’m not going to charge an exorbitant rent, but the government hasn’t sufficiently monitored prices, and some have skyrocketed,” he told AFP.
Advertisement Advertisement
Advertisement Advertisement
Organizers say 60 percent of delegates will rent rooms from Belem residents.
Hotels “are almost all full,” said Toni Santiago, president of the hotel association of Para state. It has rejected a government request to cap prices.
“No one does this for other major global events, so why should Belem?” asked Santiago.
The government has set up a task force to help delegates find rooms, and Para governor Helder Barbalho told AFP “the availability of beds is guaranteed.”
Airbnb, for its part, said the average price for accommodation has dropped by 22 percent since February.
Advertisement Advertisement
Advertisement Advertisement
But an online search yielded few options for under $100 a night — the limit requested by the UN for delegates from poor countries.
Astrini told AFP that accommodation concerns were overshadowing “what is truly important, like emission reduction goals or climate financing” — issues on the agenda for COP30.
This COP, added the Climate Observatory, could turn out to be “the most exclusive in history.”
ffb/app/lg/mlr/cb/md
Thailand’s ex-leader Thaksin Shinawatra suddenly leaves country ahead of court ruling
Thailand’s former prime minister has flown to Dubai for a ‘health check-up’ The 76-year-old was forced out of office in a coup in 2006. A court will rule next week on whether his time in prison should count as time served. His daughter was dismissed as prime minister last week after a leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen. A new prime minister is expected to be named on Friday. The Pheu Thai Party has nominated former justice minister Chaikasem Niri as its candidate. But he faces a major challenge from the main opposition party.
Police confirmed the 76-year-old billionaire boarded a private jet from Don Mueang airport on Thursday evening around 7pm local time, saying there were no court orders preventing him from leaving.
Flight-tracking data showed his plane, numbered T7GTS, initially headed towards Singapore but then travelled over Malaysia and made a number of loops on the Andaman Sea before diverting west.
Mr Shinawatra later posted online that he was travelling to Dubai for “a health check-up” but was held up at Thai immigration for several hours.
He said the pilot changed course for Dubai after being informed it was too late to land at Singapore’s Seletar Airport, which closes at 10pm local time.
“In Dubai, I have my regular orthopedic doctor and pulmonologist, whom I have been seeing for a long time. It also gave me the opportunity to visit friends I haven’t seen in over two years,” he said in an X post in Thai.
He added that he intends to return to Thailand “no later than 8 September to attend court in person on 9 September”.
Mr Shinawatra built one of Thailand’s most powerful political dynasties before being ousted in a 2006 coup. He spent 15 years in self-imposed exile before returning home in 2023 to serve a reduced corruption sentence after his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was elected prime minister.
He was freed on parole in early 2024 after just months in hospital, fuelling criticism that he had received special treatment. The court will rule next week on whether his hospital stay should count as time served.
His departure comes at a fraught moment for the Pheu Thai party he founded. Last week his daughter was dismissed as prime minister after judges ruled she had breached ethics during a leaked call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen.
It was the sixth time a Shinawatra-backed premier has been forced from office in two decades of political upheaval, and the third time a member of the Shinawatra family specifically had been ousted.
On Friday, parliament is expected to vote on Ms Shinawatra’s replacement. Pheu Thai has nominated former justice minister Chaikasem Nitisiri, but faces a major challenge from the Bhumjaithai Party’s leader, Anutin Charnvirakul, who has secured support from the main opposition. Analysts expect Mr Charnvirakul to emerge victorious, putting an end to Pheu Thai’s spell in power.
Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra leaves Thailand days ahead of court ruling that could see him jailed
Thaksin Shinawatra flew out of Thailand on Thursday, police said. He had planned to visit Singapore for two days for a medical appointment. But instead of stopping in Singapore, the plane suddenly turned west, and looped in two circles. It comes just days before a court is due to rule in a legal case that could result in him being sent to jail – and the night before parliament was set to decide who should replace his ousted daughter PaetongtarnShinawatra as prime minister. Thaksin previously spent more than 15 years in exile to avoid legal charges, and returned to Thailand only in 2023. He was sentenced to eight years in prison upon his return to Thailand, which was commuted to one year by the king. It’s possible he could be returned to prison, if judges deem that he has not yet adequately served out his sentence.
Many in Thailand spent Thursday evening glued to flight tracking websites, avidly following the path of Thaksin’s private jet.
News that he was at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport broke early on Thursday evening, with local media reporting he had been stopped by immigration. He planned to visit Singapore for two days for a medical appointment, Thai outlets reported.
His plane took off after authorities confirmed that he did not have any court order prohibiting him from leaving the country, police said in a statement.
As he left Thailand, social media was flooded with speculation. Many wondered if Thaksin might instead head to Dubai, where he previously lived in self-imposed exile to avoid legal charges for abuse of power and conflicts of interest.
His trip abroad comes just days before a court is due to rule in a legal case that could result in him being sent to jail – and the night before parliament was set to decide who should replace his ousted daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra as prime minister.
Tens of thousands tracked his plane online, as it flew from Bangkok down through the Gulf of Thailand, then crossing through Malaysia. But rather than stopping in Singapore, the plane suddenly turned west, and looped in two circles.
Thai media interviewed aviation experts on air, analysing the flight path, the amount of fuel carried and its possible destination, as the story led the news bulletins.
“Dear Passenger, your captain is flying in circles to entertain Flightradar viewers, please wave your hands,” joked one social media user. Then the plane began to fly in the direction of India.
Thaksin previously spent more than 15 years in exile to avoid legal charges, and returned to Thailand only in 2023, after striking an uneasy deal with his old enemies in the military royalist establishment. The deal was mutually beneficial, with the two sides forming a government to keep a popular, youthful pro-reform party out of power.
Thaksin was sentenced to eight years in prison upon his return to Thailand, which was commuted to one year by the king. He spent less than 24 hours in prison after citing health problems, instead staying six months in a VIP hospital wing, before being released on parole.
That arrangement is now the subject of a court case, due to be decided next week. It’s possible he could be returned to prison, if judges deem that he has not yet adequately served out his sentence.
Early on Friday morning, Thaksin wrote on social media that he would return to Thailand no later than Monday, and that he would attend court in person on Tuesday to hear the judgment handed down.
Thaksin responded to online speculation by saying he had intended to travel to Singapore for a medical checkup with a doctor he had seen previously while living abroad. “Thai immigration delayed me for nearly two hours,” he said, adding this happened despite him having the right to travel.
The delay prevented him from landing at Singapore’s Seletar Airport, which is used for private jets, as the airport only operates until 10pm, he said.
“Since I couldn’t land in Singapore, I decided to have the pilot change my plans to Dubai. I have long-time orthopedic and pulmonary doctors in Dubai, and I also had the opportunity to visit friends in Dubai whom I hadn’t seen in over two years,” Thaksin wrote, saying his pilot had circled in the sky while waiting for permission from the airport in Dubai.
On social media, speculation about his family’s broader prospects continued. On Friday, Thailand’s parliament is due to vote in a new prime minister, with the royalist conservative politician Anutin Charnvirakul expected to win in a race again Chaikasem Nitisiri, a candidate from Thaksin’s Pheu Thai party.
Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin makes surprise departure ahead of a risky court ruling
Thaksin Shinawatra leaves Thailand just five days before a court ruling that could open him up to a new prison sentence. His exit came a week after the Constitutional Court removed his daughter from her position as prime minister. Many see this as the end of the power that Thaksin’s political machine has wielded for more than two decades. Parliament was set to vote Friday on a new prime minister to succeed Paetongtarn and install a new government. He was prime minister from 2001 until a military coup ousted him in 2006 while he was abroad. He briefly returned to Thailand in 2008 but left again, skipping bail ahead of a court verdict on a corruption case. He returned to his homeland in 2023 to begin an eight-year sentence for three cases involving graft and abuse of power. He wrote that he intended to return to Thailand to appear in court on Tuesday in person. The circumstances of his detention raised questions about whether he received special treatment.
His exit came a week after the Constitutional Court removed his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, from her position as prime minister. The court found her guilty of an ethics violation for a politically compromising phone call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen.
Parliament was set to vote Friday on a new prime minister to succeed Paetongtarn and install a new government. Many see this as the end of the power that Thaksin’s political machine has wielded for more than two decades. During that time, Thaksin faced prison time in various cases, though he spent no time behind bars.
Thaksin told Thai immigration authorities at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport that his private jet was headed for Singapore. A police statement confirmed his plane was allowed to take off shortly after 7 p.m. because he had no arrest warrant or court order preventing him from leaving the country.
However, flight-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed the private jet, a Bombardier BD-700, initially flew south toward Singapore before suddenly turning west, doing two circles and continuing toward India.
Thaksin later posted on X that he had intended to travel to Singapore for a medical checkup but that Thai immigration delayed him for nearly two hours. He said his pilot informed him during their flight that they wouldn’t be able to land at Seletar Airport, which serves small aircraft, before its scheduled closing time at 10 p.m. So Thaksin said he decided to change course to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, instead.
Thaksin lived in Dubai during his self-imposed exile starting in 2008. He wrote in his social media post that he had regular physicians there.
His Thursday travel prompted widespread speculation that he could flee a possible jail term again. However, Thaksin wrote that he intended to return to Thailand to appear in court on Tuesday in person.
Thaksin was prime minister from 2001 until a military coup ousted him in 2006 while he was abroad. He briefly returned to Thailand in 2008 but left again, skipping bail ahead of a court verdict on a corruption case.
He had been ousted amid accusations of corruption, abuse of power, and disrespect for Thailand’s monarchy. He returned to his homeland in 2023 to begin an eight-year sentence for three cases involving graft and abuse of power.
He was sent to a suite at Bangkok’s Police General Hospital instead of a prison, reportedly for medical reasons. His sentence was commuted to one year by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, and he was released on parole after six months.
The circumstances of his detention raised questions about whether he received special treatment. The Supreme Court’s ruling on Tuesday will determine if the Corrections Department acted legally in its handling of his case.
The mandate for the court’s investigation is broad, and it is unclear if Thaksin could be liable for the Corrections Department’s actions, though if he was found to be complicit in their wrongdoing, he might face charges that could result in a new prison sentence.
After leaving office, Thaksin faced a barrage of lawsuits and criminal charges he claimed were politically motivated. Last month, a criminal court acquitted him of royal defamation, an offense also known as lèse-majesté, which could have resulted in a 15-year prison sentence.
Thaksin’s sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, another ousted former prime minister, lives in Dubai after fleeing Thailand in 2017 ahead of a verdict on a dereliction of duty charge, for which she was later convicted in absentia.
Dubai is the largest city in the United Arab Emirates and home to the world’s tallest building and a luxury nightlife scene It has attracted other leaders facing political or legal challenges back home such as the late Pakistani Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who seized control of his country in a 1999 coup and later sided with the U.S. in its war in Afghanistan.
___
Associated Press journalists Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Jintamas Saksornchai in Bangkok contributed to this report.