Thailand’s Yingluck fled at the ‘ultimate minute’ fearing harsh sentence

Thailand’s former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra kneeled before a row of saffron-robed Buddhist clergymen closing Wednesday as she presented them end result and sticky rice soaked in coconut milk and longan juice, a specialty from her northern region.

on the auspicious hour of 9 a.m. she launched fish on the Temple of the Bells close to Bangkok’s Chaophraya river, a exercise Thai Buddhists believe brings good karma.

At that factor, aides say they believed she still meant to seem on Friday for sentencing inside the crook negligence case introduced via Thailands junta over a costly rice subsidy scheme.within approximately an afternoon, she had left the country.

“She selected to depart due to the fact she heard from her resources that the court would give her a heavy sentence and would now not provide her bail,” said one supply close to Yingluck. “She’s now not a last minute character. She continually plans matters very cautiously. This changed into a ultimate-minute selection.”

Yingluck fled with two aides but left her best son, Supasek Amornchat, 15, in the back of in Thailand, the source said.

The other aid, who had labored with Yingluck for a decade, stated that she became gone by Thursday afternoon.

The junta has denied leaving a door open for Yingluck to break out – fixing a problem for Thailand’s generals concerned that if she became imprisoned she would come to be a martyr – but both her supporters and enemies have wondered whether she had professional assist.

Thai media have stated she took a personal jet from Cambodia to Singapore and then on to Dubai.

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen denied on Sunday that Yingluck used Cambodia as part of her get away course.

Hours after the verdict in opposition to Yingluck had been due, the courtroom sentenced her former trade minister in a associated case to 42 years in prison. He become denied bail pending enchantment because it become too overdue inside the day. Seventeen other humans have been given sentences of between 4-48 years inside the case.

Lieutenant standard Werachai Indusobhana, commander of the Terrestrial Defence Command, instructed journalists on Monday that Yingluck’s son Supasek showed up for pupil officer schooling on Saturday as required for Thai male college students of his age.