Ousted Thai PM Thaksin finds home in Dubai

Dubai, Nov 16: Exiled former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has found a new home in Dubai, as the UAE does not have an extradition treaty with Thailand, reports here said.

Thaksin, former owner of Manchester City Football Club, was expelled by Britain after he was convicted by a Thai court. He earlier had a UAE connection as he sold his club to Abu Dhabi United Group controlled by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in September. Interestingly, the businessman-turned-politician divorced his wife in Hong Kong, which Thai papers said was a ploy to protect his assets. Thaksin became prime minister in 2001 and was sentenced in absentia by a Thai court in October this year to two years in prison for corruption leading to protests and clashes between his supporters and opponents.

He divorced his wife at the Thai consul general's office in Hong Kong on Friday, Nov 14. Thaksin had married her 32 years ago and the Bangkok Post newspaper said the divorce was aimed at legally protecting his assets which are mostly in his wife's name.

UNI