Reports of Thaksin fleeing Malaysia fabricated, says Noppadon

Noppadon said Deputy Interior Minister Thaworn Senneam had made false allegations that Thaksin fled Malaysia before Thai authorities could swoop down on him.

 "The fact is that Thaksin flew from Dubai to Fiji and had to stop for refuelling either in Bangkok or in Kuala Lumpur," he said, adding that there were no attempts to arrest Thaksin when he spent a night in the Malaysian capital.

Noppadon said Thaworn's statement that Malaysian authorities were trying to enforce an arrest warrant - although an extradition request had not yet been submitted - was misleading. He claimed that foreign leaders were willing to welcome Thaksin because they understood that he was facing politically motivated charges.

In fact, he said, some countries even provided a motorcade for Thaksin during his stay. He also reiterated that none of the nations that Thaksin had visited was trying to arrest him despite the constant lobbying by Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya.

Thaksin has the freedom to travel anywhere, including to members of the Commonwealth of Nations like Fiji, he said.

With regard to red-shirt co-leader Kwanchai Praipana's call for Thaksin to end his exile by the year's end, he said he was unaware of any plans the former leader had of returning home.

Pheu Thai Party MP Pracha Prasopdee said Thaworn had fabricated the account about Thaksin fleeing Malaysian authorities, adding that the minister should have evidence to back up his stories.

Vice Foreign Minister Panich Vikitsreth said the Malaysian authorities had confirmed that Thaksin was using a passport from Montenegro when he checked in for a night's stay.

Panich said the Office of the Attorney-General has already filed two extradition requests for Thaksin, one with Malaysia and another with Australia. The request to Australia is designed to have Thaksin apprehended in Fiji, with which Thailand has no diplomatic relations, he said.