Prawit denies UK meeting

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon has insisted he did not meet fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in London to make a deal over the latter’s sister Yingluck as has been rumoured.

It is the first time Gen Prawit has made a public statement on the matter. Gen Prawit’s trip last week sparked speculation he may have secretly met Thaksin after Thaksin’s daughter Pinthongta posted am Instagram picture with her father in London on Saturday. “Hey, I was there [London] at a different time to him. When I returned to Thailand, he had just arrived. How could I have met him?” Gen Prawit told the media, adding it was just groundless speculation.

Gen Prawit’s UK visit, made in response to an invitation by Britain’s defence minister, was his first overseas trip since former prime minister Yingluck fled Thailand to avoid a Supreme Court judgement on her government’s rice scheme on Aug 25.

Meanwhile, Thaksin posted on Twitter yesterday reminding people about the coup anniversary which unseated his government on Sept 19, 2006. “I hope the memory of what happened 11 years ago has not faded from the hearts of Thais,” he wrote.

It was his second tweet session in less than a month, after a long silence dating back to 2015. His first message was posted on @ThaksinLive on Aug 30, citing French political philosopher Montesquieu.