Published Time: 09-05-2025, 15:30

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra left the country unexpectedly on Thursday, just days before a high-profile court ruling that could expose him to fresh legal risks. His exit comes at a turbulent moment in Thai politics, following the removal of his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, from the premiership.

Thaksin, who has long been a polarizing figure in Thailand, told immigration officials at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport that he was bound for Singapore. However, his travel plans quickly changed midair, fueling speculation about whether he intends to avoid possible prison time.

Flight Path Shift Raises Speculation

According to a police statement, Thaksin was cleared for departure shortly after 19:00 local time, as no arrest warrant or court order prevented him from leaving. Initial flight tracking data, reviewed by The Associated Press, indicated his private jet headed toward Singapore before diverting westward, circling twice, and continuing toward India.

Thaksin later clarified the situation on social media platform X, stating that he initially intended to land in Singapore for a medical checkup. He claimed that delays at Thai immigration meant his arrival would have missed Seletar Airport’s closing time. As a result, he diverted to Dubai, where he maintains long-standing ties and access to medical care.

Dubai also holds personal significance for Thaksin, who lived there in self-imposed exile beginning in 2008 after facing corruption charges at home.

Political Context and Family Setback

Thaksin’s departure coincides with significant political upheaval. Only a week earlier, the Constitutional Court disqualified his daughter, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, over an ethics violation linked to a phone call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen.

Parliament is scheduled to vote on Friday to select her successor, potentially ending the Shinawatra family’s long-standing influence in Thai politics. For more than two decades, Thaksin and his allies dominated electoral politics, despite repeated clashes with the military and judiciary.

A History of Exile and Legal Battles

Thaksin first rose to power in 2001 but was ousted by a military coup in 2006 while abroad. In 2008, he briefly returned to Thailand before fleeing once more, skipping bail ahead of a corruption verdict.

Over the years, he has faced a series of corruption and abuse-of-power charges, which he insists were politically motivated. In 2023, he returned to Thailand and began serving an eight-year prison sentence related to graft and misconduct.

Instead of being placed in a correctional facility, he was housed in Bangkok’s Police General Hospital due to reported health issues. His sentence was later reduced to one year by royal decree, and he was released on parole after serving six months.

These lenient conditions fueled debate over whether Thaksin received preferential treatment from Thai authorities.

Upcoming Supreme Court Ruling

The Supreme Court is expected to deliver a ruling on Tuesday that could determine whether the Corrections Department acted lawfully in handling Thaksin’s previous sentence. Legal analysts note that while the mandate of the court’s review is broad, it remains unclear if Thaksin himself could be held accountable.

If he were found complicit in any wrongdoing by officials, he could face additional charges that might result in a new prison term. His presence at the hearing will be closely watched as a measure of whether he intends to confront or evade Thailand’s legal system.

Ongoing Legal Challenges

Thaksin has long claimed that his legal troubles stem from political vendettas. While he continues to face scrutiny, he did secure a notable legal victory last month when a criminal court acquitted him of lèse-majesté, or royal defamation—a serious charge that carries up to 15 years in prison.

His family’s struggles extend beyond his own career. His sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, who also served as prime minister, fled Thailand in 2017 just before a verdict on a dereliction of duty case. She now resides in Dubai after being convicted in absentia.

Dubai as a Political Haven

Dubai has long served as a refuge for Thaksin and Yingluck, as well as for other global figures facing political or legal challenges. The city, known for its luxury lifestyle and global connectivity, has historically attracted leaders seeking safety abroad.

Among them was the late Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf, who went into exile in Dubai after leaving power in 2008. Like Thaksin, Musharraf maintained ties there while navigating his legal and political challenges back home.

Uncertain Future

Thaksin insists he will return to Thailand to attend next week’s court session, but doubts remain among political observers who recall his past absences during key legal proceedings.

Whether his latest departure signals another extended stay abroad—or simply a temporary detour for medical reasons—remains unclear. What is certain is that his movement continues to shape Thai politics, even as the Shinawatra family’s grip on power appears to be weakening.

Source: AP News – Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin makes surprise departure ahead of a risky court ruling

The post Thailand’s Ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra Departs Country Ahead of Key Court Ruling appeared first on Journos News - Breaking News, World News, Top Stories, Todays Headlines and Flash Reports.

Thousands of terrified, sick, and exhausted young men and women from around the world now find themselves imprisoned on the Myanmar border, caught between a deadly past and an uncertain future. After being freed from forced labor in scam compounds, their ordeal is far from over.

A Horrifying Rescue Effort

Last month, a high-profile operation led by authorities from Thailand, China, and Myanmar resulted in the release of over 7,000 people who had been trafficked and coerced into scamming innocent victims worldwide. These individuals, lured by promises of lucrative office jobs, were forced to trick unsuspecting people out of their life savings, primarily targeting Americans. But despite their release, these survivors have found themselves in a new nightmare: overcrowded, unsanitary detention facilities with no medical care, limited food, and no clear plan for repatriation.

One young man from India shared the grim conditions, saying that 800 detainees shared just 10 dirty toilets. Many are sick, feverish, and coughing. “If we die here with health issues, who is responsible for that?” he asked, a haunting question that echoes the helplessness of thousands trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of suffering.

A Growing Humanitarian Crisis

What was hailed as one of the largest rescues of forced laborers in modern history has turned into an escalating humanitarian disaster. The survivors—who come from at least 29 countries, including the Philippines, Kenya, and the Czech Republic—are now stuck in limbo, waiting for their home governments to act. Human rights advocates are raising alarms that this operation is just a small fraction of the true scale of the crisis. It’s estimated that as many as 300,000 people may still be working under similar forced conditions in scam operations across Southeast Asia, according to the United States Institute of Peace.

While some governments have begun efforts to repatriate their citizens, these attempts have been slow and insufficient. Thailand has been able to facilitate just 300 repatriations per day, and the pace of resettlement remains sluggish.

Conditions in the Detention Centers

The former scam workers are being held in makeshift detention centers, primarily in military camps controlled by Myanmar‘s Kayin Border Guard Force. Thousands are crammed into unsanitary conditions, sleeping on hard floors, and receiving inadequate food. These compounds are starkly reminiscent of the conditions the survivors endured in the scam centers.

Surgical masks are a common sight as detainees huddle together under the watchful eyes of armed guards. One man, speaking on the condition of anonymity, explained how they cling to the hope of eventual freedom. “It felt like a blessing that we came out of that trap, but the actual thing is that every person just wants to go back home.”

For many, it feels like an escape from one form of captivity only to be placed in another.

The Push for Repatriation

While some countries like China have taken action, sending chartered flights to pick up their citizens, other nations are still struggling to get their people back. Many detainees are trapped without the $600 airfare necessary to return home, leaving them in a precarious situation.

Authorities have blamed the slow pace of repatriation on logistical challenges. Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has promised to expedite the process, but with limited capacity to manage the thousands of detainees, the situation remains dire. “We are aware that there are sick people, and that they need to be repatriated,” said Nikorndej Balankura, a spokesperson for the Thai government.

The Global Response

Despite efforts from small nonprofit organizations and limited assistance from international bodies like the United Nations, the crisis at the Thai-Myanmar border is overwhelming. With minimal funding and a lack of resources, aid groups are struggling to provide even basic necessities like food, shelter, and medical care.

“We’re looking at numbers in the thousands, and the ability to get them over to Thailand and process them is impossible for most governments,” said Amy Miller of Acts of Mercy International, a nonprofit assisting survivors at the Thai-Myanmar border. “It really requires a global response.”

At the same time, a reduction in U.S. foreign aid funding has only added to the strain. Organizations working to combat human trafficking, including the International Organization for Migration (IOM), have had to halt their efforts due to a lack of financial support.

The Dark Reality of Cyber Scams

Cyber scam operations, which flourished during the pandemic, have wreaked havoc on countless victims worldwide. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates that Asia alone lost between $18 billion and $37 billion in 2023 to online fraud, and despite the crackdown, these criminal networks continue to operate with little deterrence. Many of the armed groups that control the regions where these scams operate are also linked to human trafficking, further complicating efforts to dismantle these operations.

While the international community’s focus on rescuing the victims is essential, it’s equally important to address the root cause of the problem: the criminal groups that profit from these scams. These networks are well-funded, highly organized, and able to quickly adapt to pressure. In Myanmar, where the military and various militia groups hold sway, efforts to shut down scam compounds have been ineffective.

The Need for Global Action

Advocates warn that without a coordinated, multinational effort, these criminal enterprises will continue to thrive. As one Pakistani man, still trapped in a detention facility, put it, “The bosses are rich as hell, and they can buy anything they need to keep this going.”

Despite the obstacles, efforts to rescue and repatriate the victims continue. But it remains to be seen whether these initiatives will have a lasting impact on dismantling the networks that profit from human suffering.

In the end, the question that lingers in the minds of those still trapped on the border is, “Is anyone coming for us?” The world watches, but the answer remains uncertain.

Source

The post Trapped on the Border: The Unfinished Fight to Free Forced Laborers appeared first on Journos News - Breaking News, World News, Top Stories, Todays Headlines and Flash Reports.