By Thomas Bell, South East Asia Correspondent
12:30AM GMT 10 Nov 2008
Mr Thaksin, who is believed to be travelling in the Far East, was convicted in absentia of corruption by a Thai court last month and sentenced to two years in jail. His application for asylum in Britain, on the grounds that Thai courts are allegedly biased against him, threatened to be a major burden on Anglo-Thai relations as local prosecutors prepared to seek his extradition.
Since being overthrown by a military coup in 2006 Mr Thaksin has been at the centre of a bitter political struggle that has engulfed Thailand. His enemies in the army, the royal palace and the Bangkok middle class accuse him of corruption and disloyalty to the monarchy.
But Mr Thaksin's many supporters, who gave him record election victories and returned his allies to government in elections at the end of last year, say he is the best prime minister Thailand ever had.
British officials refused to comment on the reason for cancelling the visa of Mr Thaksin and his wife while they were out of the country.
In Bangkok, the strongly anti-Thaksin media revelled in what they called an endorsement of Thai justice. Just as likely, Britain was anxious to avoid British courts being forced to make diplomatically damaging judgements on Thailand's rancorous politics.
In recent months anti-Thaksin protesters have occupied the seat of government, demanding his allies relinquish power. Four people have been killed in violent protests so far and society is so divided that many observers fear worse violence to come.
Mr Thaksin, a self made billionaire, may not be without a home for long. Thai media reported that he has been offered honourary citizenship of the Bahamas and is already building a GBP5 million mansion is China to replace the Surrey mansion and West London flat he can no longer return to.
โดนผู้ดียกเลิก Visa เสียแล้ว สาเหตุเพราะว่า ประเทศนี้เค้าให้แต่ผู้ดีเข้าประเทศ ส่วนผู้ร้ายใส่สูทห้ามเข้า
Edited by yaijung1, 17 November 2013 - 01:01.
