Security border officials are quite certain that former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra left Thailand by sea during her escape from Thailand.

A source at the Royal Thai Navy said it was unlikely that Ms Yingluck crossed an unmanned land border, such as those in Chanthaburi and Trat, as they feature mountainous terrain which are thought to be infested with landmines.

"I believe a VIP like Khun Yingluck would not choose such a channel to slip out of the country," the source said. "She would surely have chosen a comfortable way."

Ms Yingluck failed to turn up at the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders on Friday to hear the ruling on her alleged negligence in the rice-pledging scheme.

The source added that it would be even harder for Ms Yingluck to leave the country via an official border post, as these are permanently monitored by soldiers, immigration police and customs officials.

"It is impossible that soldiers would not have seen Ms Yingluck," he said. "Soldiers check every vehicle, even if they belong to a VIP. Drivers of all vehicles have to show related documents if they want to drive out of the country."

The source said security border officials therefore believe that Ms Yingluck must have travelled by sea. For example, she could have boarded a speedboat from Rayong to an island such as Koh Chang, Koh Kood and Koh Laoya in Trat before travelling to Cambodia.

"Travelling via this channel is easy and is not noticeable by authorities because there are so many boats cruising in the sea near those three tourist attraction islands," he said.

This theory is in line with Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon's remarks on Friday that Ms Yingluck had probably left Thailand via Koh Chang.

Gen Prawit denied that security forces had intentionally let her escape.

Another source at Burapha Task Force, which oversees the Thai-Cambodian border in Sa Kaeo province, on Saturday insisted authorities at border checkpoints in the eastern province would not have let Ms Yingluck out of the country.

"We inspect all vehicles in and out of the country, so it was impossible for Khun Yingluck to slip out of Thailand via this channel," the source said.

Whatever method and route she used, it is generally assumed that Ms Yingluck crossed in to Cambodia before catching a flight via Singapore to Dubai, where her brother and fellow former PM Thaksin Shinawatra lives in exile.

Source:
courtesy of BANGKOK POST

by WASSANA NANUAM

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