Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra would be treated as an elderly prisoner if he is imprisoned on his planned return to Thailand on Aug 10, Corrections Department chief Ayut Sinthoppan said on Wednesday.
The department chief spoke after Thaksin's daughter announced her father would return to Thailand through Bangkok's Don Mueang airport on August 10.
When the former prime minister arrived at Don Mueang he would be met by immigration police and a record made of his arrest, Mr Ayut said.
Corrections Department officials would do whatever is ordered under a court warrant, he said. If the charges against the former prime minister ocurred in Bangkok, he would be taken to Bangkok Remand Prison if the court ordered his detention.
To date, the department had not received a court warrant for Thaksin.
Mr Ayut said Thaksin would be treated as an elderly inmate. Thaksin would be quarantined at the prison hospital for Covid-19 testing for 10 days.
He denied reports that caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Kreu-ngam had coordinated with the department regarding Thaksin’s return. He said Mr Wissanu had not been in contact with him.
Thaksin's government was overthrown by a military coup on Sept 19, 2006, while he was overseas. He has since lived in self-exile, based in Dubai, except for a brief visit to Thailand in 2008.
During his absence, the Supreme Court sentenced him to a total of 12 years imprisonment in four cases.
