Thai court denies ex-PM Thaksin bid to travel for Trump talks
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Former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who is facing criminal charges under the royal defamation law, sought permission to travel as part of his bail conditions.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Bangkok – A Thai court has refused former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s request to leave the country for Qatar, where he said he hoped to meet US President Donald Trump for informal trade talks.
Thaksin, currently facing criminal charges under Thailand’s strict royal defamation law, had sought permission to travel as part of his bail conditions.
The Criminal Court ruled on the evening of May 8 that the request lacked “sufficient justification”, noting that the invitation from Qatar’s Lusail Palace – where Mr Trump is expected to attend a private dinner – was personal and unrelated to any official diplomatic capacity.
Thaksin argued that the event offered a rare opportunity to speak with Mr Trump and his economic team in discussions, after Thailand was hit with a 36 per cent tariff as part of a sweeping blitz of US trade penalties.
“The request lacked a specific itinerary,” the court said in a statement.
The court also said that the proposed travel could interfere with legal proceedings against Thaksin.
Tariff talks between the United States and Thailand, originally scheduled for April, have been indefinitely postponed, prompting speculation that domestic politics played a role.
Thaksin, who returned to Thailand in August 2023 after more than a decade overseas, has pledged to stay out of politics, but local media has reported that he has informally offered to engage with Washington on trade matters.
His daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra became prime minister in 2024, a move widely seen as engineered by Thaksin, who critics say remains the real power behind the government.
The former premier holds no official position in the Thai government.
While Thaksin remains popular with his support base, he has long been disliked by Thailand’s pro-royalist and military establishment.
He is due to appear in court in July in the royal defamation case, which is linked to a 2015 interview with a South Korean media outlet.
He also faces scrutiny from the Supreme Court over alleged special treatment following his return to the country. AFP
