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BANGKOK: Thailand's ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife failed to appear at a top court on Monday, heightening speculation that they plan to skip bail and remain abroad.
Thaksin and wife Pojaman have been in Beijing for the opening of the Olympics and rumours have circulated in Thailand that the pair will seek exile overseas as corruption cases mount against them.
Pojaman was convicted on July 31 of tax evasion and released on bail, and the couple were required to appear before the Supreme Court on Monday morning to defend themselves in a separate property scandal.
Court officials told reporters that the pair had until the end of the day to show themselves at the court, but there was little indication that they would return to the kingdom.
A parliamentarian with the Thaksin-friendly ruling People Power Party said late Sunday that Thaksin will release his reasons for remaining abroad in a press statement on Monday morning out of Britain, where Thaksin owns Manchester City football club.
"I have talked with Thaksin's private secretary who confirmed Thaksin will not return to Thailand," Pracha Prasobdee told reporters.
None of Thaksin's official spokespeople or lawyers were available for comment.
A Thai Airways official told AFP that neither Thaksin nor his wife were on the passenger list for the plane they could have flown home in from Beijing.
Thaksin and Pojaman had to seek special permission from Thai courts to travel overseas because both face a raft of corruption charges, which were instigated by the military junta which overthrew Thaksin in September 2006.
Thaksin flew to Japan on July 31, and his wife flew out to Beijing to join him on Thursday.
Pracha said that a team of lawyers will handle the court cases against Thaksin and his family.
Thaksin, a billionaire telecoms tycoon who became one of Thailand's most successful politicians, spent 18 months in self-imposed exile after the coup, spending most his time in Britain, where he owns a home.
- AFP/yb
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