THE Criminal Court today (March 6) denied a request filed by de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra, who is facing a lese majeste lawsuit, to visit Indonesia for an Asean meeting, Naewna newspaper said.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had invited Thaksin to attend the Asean meeting in his country tomorrow, Friday March 7.
Thaksin and his lawyer Mr. Winyat Chatmontri plus entourage arrived at the court on Ratchadapisek road at 10 a.m. to file a petition to leave the country for a visit to Indonesia with reporters not allowed to enter the courtroom.
At 2 p.m. the court ruled that there was still not sufficient reason to allow Thaksin to leave the country thus dismissed his petition.
However Thaksin, who leads an informal advisory group to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as chair of Asean this year, did visit Brunei on Feb. 18 and joined talks with the Malaysian leader and Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah on the Myanmar civil war, the South China Sea disputes and intra-Asean trade.
He was also allowed to visit Malaysia for talks with Anwar Ibrahim on Feb.2.
However the court did deny him permission to visit Vietnam and Cambodia.
The billionaire, powerful de facto Pheu Thai boss has been charged in the draconian lese majeste case after he had allegedly involved the monarchy in the 2006 coup which had ousted him from power during an interview with a news agency in Seoul nearly a decade later.
CAPTION:
Top and Front Page: De facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra arriving at the Criminal Court today, March 6, 2025. Photos: Naewna
Please note: This report was updated at 7.35 p.m.
Also read: Thaksin, Anwar Ibrahim and Brunei Sultan hold talks on Myanmar, South China Sea
George Yeo joins Malaysia PM Anwar in meeting with Thaksin
Thaksin confirms holding talks with Malaysian PM on a yacht
Senatorial rigging scandals now special case for DSI
Prawit to take the floor on censure debate against Paetongtarn
Thai business group urges action from government amid ‘panic’ over US trade policy
