National—
At 9:28 AM, on March 14th, 2024, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, His daughter and Pheu Thai party leader Ms. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, and his relatives visited his hometown in Chiang Mai by private jet.
At Chiang Mai International Airport, Pol. Gen. Surachet Hakparn, the Deputy National Police Chief, also welcomed Thaksin’s visit to Chiang Mai.
After that, Thaksin together with his relatives and politicians such as the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Thammanat Prompao, and Mr. Nirat Pongsitthaworn, the Chiang Mai Governor, traveled around Chiang Mai according to Thaksin’s itinerary.
His itinerary included releasing 30,000 fish, planting a tree, inspecting water management at the Mae Sa, and other tasks, according to Thai national media.
Many Chiang Mai locals and a group of Redshirts showed hospitality to Thaksin after his 17 years of being a fugitive abroad.
Thaksin had a bright expression although he wore a soft cervical collar and had nurses close to his side all the time, according to Thai national media.
Thai national media inquired Thaksin about his health, and he answered shortly that he is gradually getting better after a reported long illness that, according to him, prevented him from being in a normal jail during his months sentenced to prison. He instead spent the time, controversially according to some critics, at a hospital in a special suite until he was granted parole.
He is currently on probation but was granted special permission as we reported here to visit Chiang Mai.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.