Ex-Sri Lankan Prez Gotabaya to stay temporarily in Thailand: PM Prayut

Thailand has agreed to allow Gotabaya Rajapaksa to stay in the country temporarily during which the ousted Sri Lankan president will search for a third nation that will offer him permanent refuge

Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Press Trust of India Singapore/Bangkok
2 min read Last Updated : Aug 10 2022 | 9:45 PM IST

Thailand has agreed to allow Gotabaya Rajapaksa to stay in the country temporarily during which the ousted Sri Lankan president will search for a third nation that will offer him permanent refuge, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Wednesday.

Rajapaksa, who is currently in Singapore after fleeing Sri Lanka in July amid mass anti-government protests, is seeking refuge in Thailand as his Singapore visa runs out on Thursday. After flying to the Maldives on July 13, Rajapaksa then fled to Singapore, where he announced his resignation a day later after months of protests over the country's economic crisis.

The prime minister of Thailand confirmed a temporary visit to Thailand by the 73-year-old embattled Sri Lankan leader for humanitarian reasons, and said he promised not to conduct political activities in the kingdom during his search for permanent asylum in another country.

"This is a humanitarian issue. We have made a promise that it's a temporary stay. No [political] activities are allowed, and this will help him find a country to take refuge in," Prayut was quoted as saying by the Bangkok Post newspaper.

Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said the ousted president can stay in Thailand for 90 days as he is still a diplomatic passport holder, the report said.

Don said the Sri Lankan government did not oppose the visit and the Thai government would not make accommodation arrangements for him. The visit would not pose conflicts with Colombo as acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe had worked for him when he was in power, he added.

The minister said a condition for Rajapaksa's stay was that he should not cause problems for Thailand.

Thailand received a request from Rajapaksa to enter the country, CNN quoted Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Tanee Sangrat as saying on Wednesday.

Sangrat said that as a holder of a Sri Lankan diplomatic passport, Rajapaksa can enter Thailand without a visa for up to 90 days, emphasising the stay is temporary and he is not seeking political asylum.

Sangrat did not mention when Rajapaksa intended on traveling to Thailand, the report said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Quarterly Starter

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

Save 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online

  • Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

Topics :sri lankaThailandEconomic CrisisrajapaksaPrayut Chan-o-Cha

First Published: Aug 10 2022 | 9:45 PM IST

Next Story