Fugitive former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has not been granted political asylum in the United Kingdom, according to British authorities, Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said yesterday.
Speculation about Yingluck's whereabouts has been rife since the embattled former premier fled Thailand two months ago to escape a five-year prison -- handed out in absentia -- over her administration's failed rice-pledging scheme.
She was ultimately charged with criminal negligence in relation to government to government (G2G) rice sales and is believed to have fled two days before her sentence was due to be delivered.
Rumours swirled that she has been spending time with her older brother Thaksin, another self-exiled former Thai premier on the run from a corruption charge, in Dubai while also seeking asylum in the UK.
The minister said Thai authorities have not been able to confirm Yingluck's whereabouts since she fled ahead of the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Position's scheduled reading of its guilty judgement on Aug 25.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday no country has confirmed she is residing there.
Gen Prayut said the government requires official confirmation of her location before further action can be taken.
However there was a new development in the case this week as Yingluck's four Thai passports were officially revoked. They included two diplomatic passports.
In seeking her out, Thai authorities have reached out to Interpol but deputy national police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said there has been no progress in tracking her down.
He said she is believed to have fled to Dubai, possibly via Cambodia and Singapore, but her current whereabouts remain a mystery.
Analysts suggest that Thaksin or other high-ranking sources may have helped her secure passports from other countries to facilitate her continued travel.
Asked if Yingluck is expected to seek political asylum after her passports were revoked, the minister said each country has its own laws and procedures so it was hard to speculate whether she would find a sympathetic harbour.
He declined to comment on rumours that Yingluck might follow in the footsteps of Thaksin and obtain citizenship from a foreign country.
The deadline for the former prime minister to file an appeal against the ruling in the rice-scheme case expired last Friday.
Pheu Thai Party sources have said they expect Yingluck to make her first public appearance in the wake of the scandal after successfully gaining asylum.
The Shinawatra clan has long been associated with the party. Many suspect Thaksin continues to pull the strings from abroad.
Some believe the regime struck a secret deal to assist with Yingluck's flight, a charge the government denies.
