Two vehicles were involved in transporting ex-premier Yingluck Shinawatra to the border province of Sa Kaeo, national deputy police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said Tuesday.
Please join us on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/bangkokpostlearning
Yingluck 'swapped cars' to get to land border
Wassana Nanuam
Two vehicles were involved in transporting ex-premier Yingluck Shinawatra to the border province of Sa Kaeo, national deputy police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said Tuesday.
Citing a police investigation, Pol Gen Srivara said one left the former premier's house in Bung Kum district on Aug 23, two days before the Supreme Court was due to rule on Ms Yingluck's criminal negligence case over her administration's failed rice-pledging scheme.
She is believed to have switched vehicles in Min Buri district about 10pm before the second car drove her to Sa Kaeo on the Cambodian border, he noted.
CCTV footage shows a woman was inside the vehicle but it cannot be confirmed whether this was Ms Yingluck, Pol Gen Srivara said, adding experts are in the process of examining the footage.
Efforts are being made to find out who helped Ms Yingluck escape, he noted.
If they helped arrange her transport inside the country before Aug 25, when a warrant for her arrest was issued, they would not be charged, he said.
But if they helped Ms Yingluck flee Thailand, they would be found guilty of breaching the Immigration Act, he added.
Pol Gen Srivara said he could not confirm whether Ms Yingluck has fled overseas as is widely believed.
National Security Council secretary-general Thawip Netniyom said security officers are still trying to determine the whereabouts of Ms Yingluck. A press briefing will be conducted when new details emerge, he noted.
Responding to reports the ousted former premier slipped out of the country via Sa Kaeo, Gen Thawip said it will take time to comb such a large area to discover her exact route.
Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry denied a visit by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon to the United Kingdom this week was aimed at seeking cooperation in hunting her down.
