According to the Bangkok Post and Nikkei Asian Review, on September 5 local time, the Thai Parliament will hold a vote to elect a successor to the ousted former Prime Minister Paetongtarn. The day before, Thaksin Shinawatra, Paetongtarn's father and former Prime Minister of Thailand, suddenly left Thailand by private jet.

A source close to Thaksin said that Thaksin would go to Singapore for a "scheduled health check-up" and would return to Thailand after completing his scheduled itinerary and medical examination. The source stated that the Thai Immigration Bureau and airport officials had carefully checked Thaksin's documents to ensure his departure complied with all relevant regulations.

However, according to data from flight tracking website Flightradar24, it appears that the plane suspected to be carrying Thaksin has changed its route and did not fly to Singapore. A source told the Nikkei Asian Review that Thaksin actually went to Dubai.

On August 22 local time, Thaksin left the Bangkok Criminal Court. Nikkei Asian Review

At around 5 a.m. local time on the 5th, Thaksin said on the X website that he had intended to go to Singapore to see a doctor who had treated him abroad, but because the Bangkok Immigration Bureau delayed his flight by two hours, he was forced to fly to Dubai on the evening of the 4th. He promised to return to Thailand by September 8 local time and to go to the Supreme Court of Thailand on September 9 to hear the ruling.

The report pointed out that Thaksin's departure comes at a time when his family is facing increasingly serious political and legal challenges. It is widely expected that Paetongtarn's Pheu Thai Party will lose in the parliamentary vote on the 5th. The largest opposition party in the Thai Parliament, the People's Party, has joined forces with the Palang Pracharat Party to propose that Anutin Charnvirakul, the leader of the Palang Pracharat Party and former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, be the new Prime Minister.

Under current regulations, a candidate for Prime Minister must obtain more than half of the 492 seats in the House of Representatives, i.e., 247 votes, to be elected. Anutin said on the 3rd that he had formed a seven-party political alliance with 146 votes, plus 143 votes from the People's Party, totaling 289 votes, far exceeding the 247-vote threshold.

The Thai Criminal Court previously dismissed charges against Thaksin for defamation and insulting the Thai royal family, stating there was insufficient evidence to prove that Thaksin had broken the law. After the ruling, Thaksin was no longer prohibited from leaving the country.

Thaksin, now 76 years old, spent about 15 years in exile overseas. He returned to Thailand in August 2023 and was immediately sentenced by the Supreme Court of Thailand to eight years in prison for three corruption charges. Later, he received a royal pardon, reducing his sentence to one year. On the night of his return, Thaksin was sent to the Bangkok Police General Hospital for treatment due to "severe heart and lung problems," and was released on parole six months later.

Because Thaksin appeared to be in good condition when he was discharged, critics questioned whether he faked illness to avoid prison and demanded proof of his serious illness. The Supreme Court of Thailand will rule on September 9 whether Thaksin improperly avoided imprisonment on health grounds. The ruling could result in him returning to prison.

Thaksin's long-time opponent, the leader of the Thai Loyalty Party, Warong was previously implied that Thaksin might flee Thailand under the guise of official business before the verdict on his hospitalization case. Thaksin and his legal team have repeatedly denied any plans to escape.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7546398060390253097/

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