Thailand says Rajapaksa seeks visit, not seeking asylum

FILE PHOTO: More than eight months before an economic crisis and mass protests prompted him to flee Sri Lanka, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa presented his national statement during the World Leaders' Summit at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain November 1, 2021. Andy Buchanan/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Thailand has received a request for former Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to visit the country, but he has no intention of seeking political asylum, Thailand's foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

Ministry spokesperson Tanee Sangrat said Thailand saw no problem with Rajapaksa entering on a diplomatic passport, which would allow him to stay 90 days. He did not say when Rajapaksa intended to visit.

(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Andrew Heavens)