Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra made a dramatic exit from the country on September 4, 2025, aboard a private jet, just five days before a Supreme Court ruling on September 9 that could result in a new prison sentence. The billionaire’s departure, initially reported as a trip to Singapore for a medical checkup, followed the ousting of his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, as prime minister on August 28 due to an ethics violation involving a phone call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen. The sudden move has fueled speculation about whether Thaksin, 76, intends to evade potential incarceration.
Thaksin informed immigration officials at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport that his Bombardier BD-700 was headed to Singapore, with clearance granted at 7:17 p.m. as no court orders prohibited his travel. However, flight-tracking data revealed the jet veered west after circling over Malaysia, heading toward Dubai, where Thaksin resided during his 15-year self-imposed exile following a 2006 military coup.
In a social media post on X, he cited immigration delays and Seletar Airport’s 10 p.m. closure as reasons for redirecting to Dubai, where he has long-standing medical care and personal connections. His sister, former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, also lives in Dubai after fleeing Thailand in 2017.
The upcoming court ruling will examine whether the Corrections Department acted lawfully in allowing Thaksin to serve his 2023 eight-year sentence—commuted to one year by King Maha Vajiralongkorn—in a hospital suite rather than prison, raising questions of special treatment. While Thaksin insists he will return for the hearing, his departure, amid a parliamentary vote on September 5 to replace Paetongtarn, signals a potential end to the Shinawatra family’s two-decade political dominance.
The Pheu Thai Party, founded by Thaksin, faces challenges as Bhumjaithai’s Anutin Charnvirakul is poised to become the next prime minister, highlighting a turbulent shift in Thailand’s political landscape.
Also Read: Heartbreaking Nashik Tragedy: Couple’s Suicide by Train Leaves Community Reeling
Also Read: India-Thailand ‘Maitree-XIV’ Joint Anti-Terror Drill Begins in Meghalaya