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December 15, 2011 5:22 pm
Democrat spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said Thursday that he had received a letter claiming that former PM Thaksin Shinawatra had allegedly been given a Thai passport on the quiet.

Chavanond showed the original and provided copies of the letter - signed by a "New Breed of Foreign Ministry Official" - to the media Thursday. The letter claimed that the ministry's computer was unlocked to issue the passport on October 31 - at a time when the immigration offices on Chaeng Wattana Road were closed due to flooding. According to the letter, a passport was issued and the name of a person was removed from the black list.

The Nation http://www.nation...71946.html

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Ban on Thakin holding passport repealed
December 16, 2011 1:54 pm
The Foreign Ministry has repealed the passport ban on fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, which was issued by former foreign minister Kasit Piromya, Foreign Minister Surapong Tohvichakchaikul said Friday.

The minister said this was done because Thaksin is harmless and is not considered a security risk to the country.

The decision was taken after the ministry's Consular Affairs department informed him that Thaksin had applied for an ordinary passport via the Thai Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. His original passport had been cancelled on April 12, 2009, at the order of Kasit Piromya, foreign minister in the previous government

The cancellation was ordered under ministerial regulations, which allow for a ban on holding passports for those nationals who do harm to the country.

The Nation

http://www.nation...72024.html

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Thaksin in possesion of new Thai passport : FMFugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra has already been issued with his new Thai passport, Foreign Ministry's spokesman Thani Thongpakdi said Friday.

The Foreign Ministry issued the passport for Thaksin on October 26 and sent it to him in Abu Dhai, UAE, via diplomatic pouch on the same day, he said.

Earlier Foreign Minister Surapong Tohvichakchaikul said his ministry had repealed the passport ban on Thaksin, which was issued by former foreign minister Kasit Piromya.

The minister said this was done because Thaksin is harmless and is not considered a security risk to the country.

The decision was taken after the ministry's Consular Affairs department informed him that Thaksin had applied for an ordinary passport via the Thai Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates on October 25. His original passport had been cancelled on April 12, 2009, at the order of Kasit Piromya, foreign minister in the Abhisit government.

The cancellation was ordered under ministerial regulations, which allow for a ban on holding passports for those nationals who do harm to the country.

"However I consider Khun Thaksin as harmless to the country. Therefore, I decided to revoke the order," Surapong said.

The new government which has Thaksin's sister; Yingluck, as the prime minister and Surapong of the Pheu Thai party, as the foreign minister, has never hidden its intention to bring back Thaksin to Thailand.

The revocation would enable Thaksin to get his new passport.

Surapong said this was the last time he would talk about the matter as, in his role as foreign minister, he has other duties to attend to, including strengthening relationships with other countries.

http://www.nation...72023.html

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alt er ok, han bruger ikke passet hvorfor vil han så have det, der er så meget vi ikke forstår

Thaksin not using Thai passport, adviser says
Noppadon Pattama, a legal adviser to Thaksin Shinawatra, yesterday dismissed an accusation that the fugitive former prime minister used a Thai passport to travel to foreign countries.

Saying Thaksin had been using his Montenegrin passport, Noppadon accused the opposition Democrat Party of discriminating against Thaksin when it was in power by cancelling his Thai passport. He said the former government had not cancelled passports of people sentenced to harsher penalties, such as Somchai Khunplume ('Kamnan Poh') and Vatana Asavahame.

The Democrat-led government disseminated false information that Thaksin was on Interpol's red list and lied when it said that Thaksin was on a Foreign Ministry blacklist, Noppadon claimed.

He claimed the Democrat-led government had spent almost two years trying to hunt Thaksin down, but failed because foreign countries knew that the drive to arrest Thaksin was politically motivated. Many countries had granted passports to Thaksin, he said. Noppadon said the fact Thaksin had received his Thai passport did not cause any damage to the country. "The Democrats are making a lot of noise because they cannot stand seeing justice handed to Thaksin,'' he said.
http://www.nation...72157.html

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Thaksin not a threat to Thailand: FM Surapong
December 22, 2011 1:38 pm
Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul on Thursday explained his decision to repeal the passport ban for fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, saying he was justified to reissue the passport because Thaksin was not a security threat.

"I don't see Thaksin threatening the country, therefore I lifted the passport ban," he said.

Surapong was speaking in the question-and-answer session rebutting an opposition's motion questioning his judgement on the Thaksin case.

He said his Democrat predecessor Kasit Piromya cited what he saw as Thaksin's threatening activities as ground for the passport ban.

The Nation

http://www.nation...72436.html