Thaksin no longer banned from Germany, says Noppadon

Ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is no longer banned from entering Germany, his legal adviser Noppadon Pattama said yesterday.

"The entry ban was imposed earlier because German authorities received biased information from the Thai government," he said.

Noppadon claimed that Germany had lifted the ban after realising that information it had received did not correspond to the facts.

He said he expected more countries to welcome Thaksin after learning about the distortion.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya called for Germany to justify differing and conflicting treatment of Thaksin. The entry ban had been enacted because of Thaksin's fugitive status, but that stand was apparently revised to reflect the "improved political situation" in Thailand, he said.

"The German government says the case between Walter Bau and the Thai government is strictly in the hands of the judiciary, but in the Thaksin case it cites the political climate for its decision," he said, referring to a dispute over monies allegedly owed by Thailand to bankrupt German contractor Walter Bau.

Germany is obliged to answer why it appears sensitive to 15 million votes cast for a party to take power but ignores opposing votes, he said.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he had not been informed of the German decision on Thaksin, adding that he had no details other than what he had read in news reports.

Attorney-General Julasing Wasantasing said it was Germany's right to decide whether to allow Thaksin to enter the country. The Thai government could not interfere, he said.

However, be believed the decision would not affect the extradition of Thaksin as a fugitive, Thai-German relations or any other cases involving the two countries.