Police say they do not know when Thaksin will return
Immigration Police say they have no official information on when self-exiled prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will return to Thailand or what airport he will arrive at, but they have coordinated with the police to develop procedures to follow when he enters Thailand.
Thaksin’s daughter Paetongtarn – a prime ministerial candidate of the Pheu Thai Party – said on Facebook that Thaksin will arrive at Don Mueang International Airport on August 10.
Maj-General Montri Pancharoen, who is responsible for overseeing immigration officers at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang international airports, said immigration police do not know the specific date Thaksin will be arriving.
It has not been specified whether he will arrive at Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang, so there are no definite preparations at either airport, Montri said.
However, he added that his bureau had already planned with metropolitan police what to do when Thaksin arrives.
"The Immigration Bureau has already coordinated with the Metropolitan Police on the initial guidelines for inspecting individuals entering the country. The primary duty of immigration officers is to conduct passport checks … when Thaksin travels to the country, if there is a warrant or he is a person of interest in a case, he will be detained for further processing and will be handed over to the police for subsequent action. All of these procedures will be carried out as according to normal protocols," Montri said.
Maj-General Chokchai Ngamwong, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said that police had no official information on the exact date Thaksin will be returning or which airport he will be arriving at.
He only knows what he learned from media reports, Chokchai said.
If Thaksin arrives during office hours, he will be arrested and taken to court, Chokchai said. However, if he arrives outside of office hours, he will be taken to a special detention centre at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road and transferred to court later. If necessary, he will be taken to the Bangkok Remand Prison.
“The Metropolitan Police Bureau has prepared and secured primary and alternative routes for travel from the initial apprehension at either Don Mueang Airport or Suvarnabhumi Airport to various destinations," Chokchai said.
Confidential documents reportedly leaked from a July 12 meeting say six different travel routes had been considered.
Deployment of security personnel and traffic management for all six routes were discussed, including from Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports, to the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, and to the Supreme Court.
