Phnom Penh: Fugitive former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra left Cambodia yesterday, ending a contentious four-day visit that deepened a diplomatic crisis between the neighbours.
Thaksin, who was toppled by a military coup in 2006 and is living abroad to avoid a jail term for corruption in Thailand, departed the tourist hub Siem Reap by private jet, Cambodia’s deputy cabinet minister Prak Sokhon confirmed.
Officials would not disclose his destination. Thaksin has based himself in Dubai and travelled widely since leaving Thailand in August last year.
He was warmly greeted during his Cambodia visit, billed as the beginning of his new role as economic adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s administration. “During his trip, Thaksin helped us on economic concepts,” said Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith, who would not speculate when the fugitive former prime minister
would return.
But Thaksin’s visit created a diplomatic storm between already bickering Cambodia and Thailand. Bangkok was outraged by the appointment, and ties plummeted further when Cambodia refused to extradite him to Thailand on the grounds that his graft conviction was politically motivated.
The neighbours recalled their respective ambassadors and Thaksin accused Thai rulers of “false patriotism” during an economic lecture Thursday in the capital Phnom Penh.
Before his departure yesterday morning, Thaksin chatted at a hotel with Hun Sen and political supporters who had travelled from Thailand to meet him.
Hun Sen called Thaksin an “eternal friend” when he arrived Tuesday, and the pair played a round of golf on Friday.
Some 50 members of parliament from Thailand’s main pro-Thaksin party, Puea Thai, waved him off as his plane left the airport.
The row was further inflamed on Thursday when Cambodian police arrested a Thai man on charges of spying on Thaksin and expelled the first secretary to Thailand’s embassy.
Thailand reciprocated, expelling Cambodia’s first secretary from Bangkok. Siwarak Chothipong, 31, who works at Cambodia Air Traffic Service, is accused of supplying the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh with details of Thaksin’s flight schedule, according to Cambodian police.
Thailand has submitted a request to visit the detained suspect, which is being considered by Cambodia’s Interior Ministry, said officials from both countries.
“We have to see him, whatever happens,” said Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to Thailand’s foreign minister. “Thailand categorically denies all of the spy allegations.”
Thailand has put all talks and cooperation programmes with Cambodia on hold, torn up an oil and gas exploration deal signed during Thaksin’s time in power and placed under review two road-building projects worth $42m.
