Thaksin gets passport back 'very soon'
Fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin will 'very soon' get his passport back, which was revoked by the previous government.
This statement from Minister Surapong Towijakchaikul (Foreign Affairs) has understandably not been well received by opponents of Thaksin. Tul Sitthisomwong, coordinator of the Network of Citizen Volunteers to Protect the Land, says he will nominate the minister for impeachment if he perseveres.
But the minister is not concerned about that. 'It is the foreign minister's privilege to issue or revoke passports.' He intends to return the passport as a New Year's gift, but it could be even sooner. The minister points out that Thaksin's passport was not revoked by the court or the police, but by his predecessor.
Tul says a person who has fled to avoid jail time should not have a Thai passport. When that person is in the country, the police should apprehend him, and if that person lives abroad, the Attorney General and the State Department should work together to bring him back.
The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD, yellow shirts), through PAD spokesperson Parnthep Pourpongpan, has announced that it will not hold a protest demonstration, but that it wants to take legal action. Once Thaksin has the passport, the PAD will file a complaint with the National Anti-Corruption Commission. According to Parnthep, an applicant for a passport must report to the authorities in person. At that time, Thaksin can be arrested.
Democratic party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut believes that the minister should explain to the population the benefit of returning the passport. The previous Democratic-led government revoked Thaksin's passport over his conviction for abuse of power. 'This obviously is not a New Years' gift for the Thai people. […] The people want to see the government help them restore the country and economy after the floods.'
Noppadon Pattama, Thaksin's legal adviser, believes that the issue should not be abused to fuel political conflict. He does not believe returning Thaksin's passport to return Thailand facilitated.
Official on thaivisa.com latest news: Thai King Birthday Pardon excludes Thaksin
It was already known that Thaksin cannot make use of the amnesty due to the king's birthday. He has already made it known that he would not even want that. The passport is separate from this. Do you think he will get that back soon?
Ok Dick, it also says that the minister wants to return that passport in order to save his job. Also source latest news thaivisa.com.
Everyone will have an opinion about it and that can be respected, but that no one cares anymore, as was the case in recent months, to send money to Thailand. We know how it works or some people don't want to know? Not even 10% of that money reaches those people. Do you really think Dick wouldn't want that pardon? I do not believe it! But yes, how do you know how to pack your constituents, also an art….
Obviously I think Thaksin wants to return to Thailand, but he is smart and not crazy. If the pardon had also applied to him, riots would undoubtedly have broken out and he would not have wanted to do that to his sister.
Voranai Vanijaka has already pointed out in his column that trial balloons are constantly being launched to see how the population reacts. A possible pardon for Thaksin was such a balloon.
I haven't read yet that the minister wants to save his job, but I wouldn't be surprised. There was already a lot of criticism of his appointment.
The opposition suggested this today in The Nation. he looks cheerful and very bad with 2 photos Mr. Thaksin.
Read the tweets more often, Marcos. Then you are aware of everything in Thailand…