Thailand confirms Ms. Yingluck has arrived in Cambodia

(Baonghean) - Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister said today, September 8, that a convoy believed to be carrying former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was last seen passing through a military checkpoint near the border with Cambodia.

Speaking to the press on September 8, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said a convoy believed to be carrying former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was last spotted passing through a military checkpoint near the border with Cambodia.

When asked about developments in the investigation and search for Ms. Yingluck, Mr. Prawit said surveillance cameras at a checkpoint in Sa Kaeo province (bordering Cambodia) recorded images of the convoy carrying Ms. Yingluck.

Thailand has just confirmed that Ms. Yingluck was near the border with Cambodia before fleeing abroad.

“Data from security cameras did not show that the convoy passed through the border checkpoint, but stopped at a military checkpoint in Sa Kaeo province,” Deputy Prime Minister Prawit said.

However, in his speech, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit avoided mentioning whether the soldiers there checked the convoy or when it was discovered, which somewhat raised doubts about the transparency of this event.

Previously, information about former Prime Minister Yingluck's escape after she failed to appear at the Supreme Court's impeachment hearing on August 25. The Thai military government claimed they did not know that former Prime Minister Yingluck planned to flee, but analysts and many Thai people doubted this as Ms. Yingluck often complained about being closely monitored.

A senior military official said Yingluck may have flown directly from Thailand to Singapore on a private plane, then to Dubai. Meanwhile, some members of the Pheu Thai Party speculated that Yingluck may have driven or taken a boat through Cambodia, then boarded a private plane to travel from Cambodia to Singapore and finally to Dubai. Meanwhile, the Cambodian government has yet to make any official announcement about Yingluck's presence in its territory.

Yingluck, Thailand’s first female prime minister, was ousted in a military coup in 2014. She was accused of negligence in a rice subsidy scheme that cost the government billions of dollars. If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison and a lifetime ban from politics under a new military-drafted constitution.

To date, Ms. Yingluck has denied these allegations. Currently, Thailand has issued an arrest warrant for Ms. Yingluck as the Thai police have sent letters to 190 countries around the world to search for the former Prime Minister. However, to date, Thailand has not received any response regarding Ms. Yingluck's whereabouts.

Nhat Minh

(According to Dailymail)