The Criminal Court on Wednesday denied former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra permission to leave for Dubai on Thursday for medical treatment, just three weeks before the first hearing in the lese majeste case against him.
Thaksin filed the request on Saturday, seeking permission to leave the country and stay in Dubai from Aug 1-16.
Thaksin was arraigned on charges of lese majeste and computer crime over comments he made during a media interview in South Korea in 2015.
He is due in court on Aug 19 for the first hearing.
Thaksin said he wanted to see his Dubai doctors on Aug 2 and 8.
Thaksin said he also needed to meet important people on personal business in Dubai and would return to Thailand before his date with the court on Aug 19.
The court ruled that doctors in Thailand could treat him. The court said Thaksin’s appointments with other people in Dubai were a personal matter.
The court did not see any necessity for the overseas trip and as the requested period was close to Aug 19, Thaksin could not be allowed to leave the country. It dismissed the request.
