Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived in Bangkok this afternoon from Singapore, a day before he is scheduled to attend the reading of the Supreme Court’s decision in his controversial six-month hospital stay while serving a prison sentence.
His flight departed Singapore at 12:46pm local time and landed in Bangkok at 2:54pm.
Scores of reporters and camera crews crowded the entrance to the private jet terminal at Don Muang International Airport.
His flight from Singapore was tracked on the Flightradar24 application and nearly all media outlets livestreamed his plane’s landing at Don Muang.
Some doubted whether he had actually returned, as no one saw him disembark from the aircraft and his motorcade had heavily tinted windows. One television station did, however, manage to capture images of Thaksin leaving the arrivals building.
Thaksin had left Bangkok over the weekend on his private jet, sparking widespread speculation that he might not return to attend the high-profile court decision.
His initial flight plan indicated that his destination was Singapore, but the jet later diverted and landed in Dubai, his former base during years of self-imposed exile. This fuelled speculation that he might be planning to flee Thailand again.
Thaksin later posted on X, however, offering an assurance that he would return in time to attend tomorrow’s hearing.
