Thailand’s ex-leader leaves supporters in limbo after disappearing during trial

BANGKOK — For two years, Yingluck Shinawatra, the former prime minister of Thailand, battled criminal charges of negligence and claims she had cost the country billions of dollars. She appeared in court regularly and assured her supporters she would fight until the end.

“You need to wait and see,” she told The Bangkok Post last month. “I’ll be there in court to the last day. We will meet there.”

But on Friday, when the time arrived for the Supreme Court to render its verdict, Yingluck was nowhere to be found. She sent word to the court that she was ill. But senior members of her party said they believe she slipped out of the country rather than face the prospect of spending up to 10 years in prison.

Her whereabouts remained a mystery Sunday. Officials of her party, Pheu Thai, said they had not heard from her and had no idea where she was.

Yingluck’s decision not to appear in court was costly. She forfeited $900,000 in bail and left her political movement in disarray, with no clear agenda or plan for moving forward.

“It is now difficult for us to analyze what to do next,” said Chaturon Chaisang, who served as education minister in her Cabinet. “We want to hear from her and what her role will be now.”

Yingluck appears to be following the path of her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, into self-imposed exile. He was ousted as prime minister in a military coup in 2006 after five years in office and left Thailand rather than face corruption charges.

A wealthy businessman who once owned the English soccer club Manchester City, Thaksin has a private jet and homes in several countries, including Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Some speculate Yingluck has joined him in the emirate.

For Thailand, Yingluck’s departure is the end of an era, when the populist siblings ran the country with the backing of the rural poor, who repeatedly voted them into office only to see the military take power twice.