Members of the House Police Affairs Committee will visit the Police General Hospital this Friday to confirm whether convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is still there, after the committee received permission to visit the hospital.

On Monday, the director of the hospital, Pol Lt-Gen Thaweesilp Wechwitarn, sent an urgent letter to the committee chairman, saying that he had instructed a police officer to lead the committee on an inspection trip of the 6th floor of the Sriyanon building at 10am on Friday, as requested by the committee.

The committee chairman and Democrat MP Chaichana Detdecho said today that the committee members will visit the hospital to find out how many prisoners are being treated there besides Thaksin and whether there any other prisoners being admitted to the 14th floor, where Thaksin has reportedly been treated since the day he arrived back in Thailand last year.

He also said that the committee will discover whether other prisoners are being provided with the same treatment as Thaksin.

The Democrat MP asked the media to convey, to the director-general of Corrections Department, his message that the committee is yet to receive a response from him to its request to visit Thaksin at the hospital, even though the Police General Hospital had now granted permission.

Asked whether the committee will have a chance to meet with Thaksin during the visit, Chaichana said he will answer that on Friday.