Pheu Thai Party politicians will not be prohibited from flying to Singapore to meet former prime ministers Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said on Friday.
Reports emerged that Pheu Thai key figures would meet the two fugitive former prime ministers in Singapore on Saturday. Topics expected for discussion include the regime's alleged attempt to lure former MPs from various parties to support Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha as prime minister after the general election.
Gen Prawit said Pheu Thai politicians are free to go overseas because the National Council for Peace and Order lifted the travel ban imposed on certain individuals on June 1, 2016.
The travel ban, known as Announcement No.21/2014, was issued the day after the May 22, 2014 coup and largely targeted Pheu Thai politicians and a number of activists.
However, Gen Prawit declined to comment on whether the reported appearance of the two ex-PMs in Singapore will have any links with the planned rally of anti-coup and pro-election activists at Thammasat University's Tha Phrachan campus on Saturday.
The two former prime ministers are reportedly attending a cryptocurrency investment conference in the city-state.
Pheu Thai's acting deputy spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard said that there was nothing political with a meeting between Pheu Thai politicians and the two former prime ministers.
The visit was a gesture of respect without any attempts to find solutions to the party's internal problems, he said.
He rejected reports that Pheu Thai former ministers and MPs wanted to meet Thaksin in Singapore to discuss problems associated with fielding MP candidates in certain constituencies.
Mr Anusorn said Pheu Thai cannot engage in such political moves because parties' hands are tied by the NCPO's ban on political activities, which is still in force.
