Yingluck Shinawatra's husband and son may have to seek permission or pay rent if they want to remain in a recently seized house thought to be owned by the fugitive former PM, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said on Thursday.
Mr Wissanu said the Legal Execution Department needs to examine ownership documents on the property on Soi Nawamin 111 in North Bangkok to determine what can be done with it.
If the property was gained after her marriage, the law states authorities can seize only part of it with the remaining part belonging to her husband.
Mr Wissanu's remarks came after Yingluck's lawyer, Noppadol Laothong, revealed that more than 30 assets belonging to her were seized by the Legal Execution Department (LED) following a government administrative order forcing the former premier to pay 35 billion baht compensation for losses incurred by her government's rice-pledging scheme.
The assets include the house where she lived before fleeing overseas. Yingluck valued the house at 110 million baht in her declared assets, making it the most valuable item on the list.
Mr Wissanu insisted that the LED will sell all seized assets to cover the damages unless there are legal complications. "Officials are proceeding with caution because there are people living in the house. They aren't rushing ahead without proper consideration," he said.
He also said Yingluck still retains the right to seek an injunction against the administrative order despite the Central Administrative Court having recently rejected a previous bid for one lodged with the court last July.
Mr Noppadol said yesterday her legal team expects to lodge a fresh petition soon.
He said Yingluck's house is one of primary concern because Yingluck's son and husband live there and she has never attempted to transfer or conceal her assets.
Finance permanent secretary Somchai Sujjapongse said yesterday the ministry has traced other Yingluck assets and submitted this information to the LED.
He said the ministry's examination of the former prime minister's assets is still ongoing.
