TRAVEL NEWS

Pojaman leaves, family 'free to travel'

26 Sept 2006, Thailand's ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife are free to travel wherever they want, a spokesman of the country's ruling military junta said on Monday - for now at least.

Patong Beach Lodge is a short stroll from the beach and the shopping and entertainment district.

The Immigration office confirmed that Mr Thaksin's wife Khunying Pojaman left Thailand this morning, presumably to join her husband and a daughter in London.

Lt Gen Paragkul Klaharn, spokesman for the junta, said he he could not confirm Khunying Pojaman's departure, but said she was free to travel is she wished.

"As a private citizen she is free to go wherever she wants," Lt-Gen Paragkul told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Similarly, Mr Thaksin is free to travel, including back to Thailand. "It's a question for the future," said Lt-Gen Paragkul, "But (coup leader) Gen Sonthi (Boonyaratkalin) has said that as a Thai citizen Khun (Mr) Thaksin is free to return whenever he wants."

Mr Thaksin was in New York on September 19, when the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM) seized power, and has since moved to London where his family owns an apartment building.

The junta, led by army commander Gen Sonthi, has yet to seek Mr Thaksin's extradition.

Best Western Phuket Ocean Resort is situated at Karon beach on the hillside ...

The CDRM on Sunday announced the setting up of a special panel to investigate projects under the Thaksin administration for corruption and on Monday a newly appointed counter-corruption commission kicked off investigations of "unusually rich" politicians who held office in Thaksin-led administrations during the past two years.

The junta has given the ousted cabinet until October 18 to declare their assets and liabilities to the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC).

Under Thailand's constitution, which was abolished by the junta, all cabinet ministers must declare their assets and liabilities when entering office and when leaving. The junta in an announcement has revived the requirement.

The asset declaration practice was established by the 1997 constitution in an effort to curb rampant corruption by cabinet ministers who become "unusually wealthy" while in office.

Thaksin's past two cabinets have been spared scrutiny by counter corruption commissions for the past two years because of delays in setting up the nine-member commission.

A new NCCC was swiftly appointed by Thailand's ruling junta last week.

The junta on Sunday night also established a new investigation panel to scrutinize all projects approved by the Thaksin cabinets since he came to power in 2001, on the grounds that "there were suspicions that there were abuses of power for personal benefit to the detriment of the nation."

Thailand's military junta cited mounting corruption as one of its reasons for seizing power last week, along with accusations that Thaksin had undermined national unity, independent agencies and the monarchy.

Thaksin, who is currently in London, has said he will cooperate with the junta and has urged his former ministers to do likewise.

A billionaire businessman who made his fortune on government-granted telecommunication concessions, Thaksin transferred most of his private wealth and corporate responsibilities to his wife and three children before he became prime minister.

Source: bangkokpost.com

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