Thailand’s Thaksin flies to Dubai after missing Singapore landing deadline

Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra made a sudden and surprising departure from the country on Thursday, just five days before a court ruling that could open him up to a new prison sentence.

Thaksin told Thai immigration authorities at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport that his private jet was headed for Singapore. A police statement confirmed his plane was allowed to take off shortly after 7pm because he had no arrest warrant or court order preventing him from leaving the country.

However, flight-tracking data showed the private jet, a Bombardier BD-700, initially flew south towards Singapore before suddenly turning west, doing two circles and continuing towards India.

Thaksin later posted on social media that he had intended to travel to Singapore for a medical check-up but that Thai immigration held him for nearly two hours.

He said his pilot informed him in the air that they would not be able to land at Seletar Airport, which handles private jets, before its scheduled closing time at 10pm. So Thaksin said he decided to change the course to Dubai instead.

“Since I couldn’t land in Singapore, I decided to have the pilot change my plans to Dubai,” Thaksin wrote on social media, adding that he travelled to the Middle Eastern city to visit orthopaedic and pulmonary doctors who have treated him before.