Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is welcomed around the world, his legal adviser says, because he is recognised as a political victim by the international community.
Noppadon Pattama was speaking about Thaksin's plan to travel to the United Kingdom to watch a football match, despite the country barring him after his 2008 conviction in Thailand for corruption offences.
But Mr Noppadon cited Thaksin's recent unhindered travels to other world powers as proof that those countries recognised that Thaksin's conviction was politically based.
He said Britain, Germany, France, Japan and China had all granted visas to Thaksin, although the British government has made no statement to confirm it had lifted its restriction on Thaksin entering Britain.
Nevertheless, Thaksin will fly in to England on Monday to watch a football match between Manchester City, which he once owned, and Manchester United.
It will be Thaksin's first trip there since late 2008, when authorities shut the door on him after Thailand's Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions ruled him guilty in the Ratchadaphisek land purchase case.
Some foreign media also report that the UK government has frozen about US$4.2 billion (130 billion baht) in assets believed to belong to Thaksin after it revoked his visa in November 2008.
Mr Noppadon denied the real aim of Thaksin's UK visit is to negotiate for the release of the assets, saying that none are frozen there anyway.
Mr Noppadon said European countries adhered strictly to democracy and respected the people's voice through elections.
Mr Noppadon added that certain countries had taken action against Thaksin in the past because they had been pressured to do so when the Abhisit Vejjajiva government was in power and was attempting to extradite Thaksin so he could serve his two-year jail sentence.