Yingluck urged to silence rumours over hotel visit

Yingluck urged to silence rumours over hotel visit

The Democrats have demanded that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra clarify her visit to the Four Seasons Hotel last week that led to her absence from a meeting with House legislators.

If the premier keeps silent about the purpose of the visit, she may be a further target of rumours that she might have held secret talks at the hotel on "vested interests" in state flood prevention plans, Democrat spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said yesterday.

Ms Yingluck earlier said she was "free to meet anyone" at the hotel, which is a public place, and insisted her visit had nothing to do with irregularities.

However, Mr Chavanond said Ms Yingluck went to the hotel during office hours, cancelled her meeting at the House immediately and told reporters not to follow her.

The premier arrived at the hotel on Ratchadamri Road at about 2pm on Wednesday and left at about 3.30pm, according to Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung.

She was seen going upstairs by businessman Ekkayuth Anchanbutr, who said on his Facebook account that he could name individuals he saw with her, which could unnerve a lot of people.

A property developer was seen while Ms Yingluck was in the hotel, so her visit raised a worry that if the developer knew where the government would locate a floodway, he would buy the land and wait to sell to officials during land expropriation, Mr Chavanond speculated.

Mr Ekkayuth, who used to lead a campaign against the Thaksin Shinawatra administration, said he was assaulted by a man in uniform shortly after Ms Yingluck left the hotel.

He learned from witnesses the attacker was close to Thaksin, the elder brother of Ms Yingluck.

Lumpini police chief Pol Col Chanin Wachirapanikun yesterday urged Mr Ekkayuth to lodge a complaint with police and identify his attacker so that action could be taken. Security footage showed only a group of men running out of a hotel.

Their faces could not seen, he said.

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