No welcome in Britain for ousted Thai PM

Published on Saturday 8 November 2008 19:16

BRITAIN has revoked the visa of ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, making him unable to return to London where he has been living in exile.

British authorities "have confirmed the decision to revoke the visas" of Thaksin and his wife Pojaman, a Thai foreign ministry spokesman said.

Thaksin, who fled Thailand in August to escape corruption and other charges, was sentenced in absentia by a Thai court in October to two years in prison. Prosecutors have said they would seek his extradition.

It is thought that the British embassy in Bangkok sent an e-mail to international airlines on Friday asking them not to allow Thaksin and his wife to board flights to the United Kingdom.

The report said Thaksin is currently travelling in China but that it was unclear whether his wife was accompanying him.

A Bangkok-based executive with a European airline confirmed that it had received the e-mail from the British embassy. He refused to have his name or airline identified, saying "in the current political climate it would be unwise".

A spokesman for Thaksin in Bangkok said British authorities had not contacted the former prime minister concerning his visa.

"I spoke with Thaksin's secretary and he said that Thaksin still has not been notified by the British Government," the spokesman said.

A spokesman for the British embassy in Bangkok said: "We cannot publicly comment."