The former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, was seen at his Chan Song La residence with his youngest daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who leads the Pheu Thai party.
At 5:19 am, they went to pay respects at the Bangkok City Pillar shrine before boarding his jet plane to Chiang Mai at about 7 am.
He still has a neck support, but no arm sling and can walk on his own. In the past, he wore a neck support and arm sling when meeting former Cambodian PM Hun Sen.
Yesterday, he paid respect to the Supreme Patriarch and made merits at Wat Ratchabophit Sathitmahasimaram temple. He did not wear a neck support and walked on his own.
Thaksin will be in his home province of Chiang Mai from today until this Saturday. During his visit, he will stay at a residence within Summit Green Valley, in Mae Rim district, where he will receive visits from family members and relatives in the evening.
On March 15, Thaksin and his family will take part in respect and merit-making rituals at the temple in San Kamphaeng district, where his ancestors’ relics are interred. Thaksin is scheduled to return to Bangkok the next day. This trip marks his first visit to his home province since he began decades in self-exile abroad.
Thaksin returned to Thailand last August and was later found guilty of corruption. Despite not spending a single night in prison, citing various illnesses, he stayed in the Police General Hospital for six months before being released on parole to his Chan Song La residence.
Many Thais doubt the seriousness of his illness and believe that he received special treatment from authorities to avoid staying in a prison cell.
