Authorities, including a US diplomat and military leaders, have brushed aside a speculation that former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra is seeking political asylum in the United States.
Their reaction came a day after Ms Yingluck's motorcade was stopped and searched in Chiang Mai, sparking criticism that the military was closely shadowing her to prevent her from fleeing.
Army chief Udomdej Sitabutr said Wednesday he was not aware of the reported speculation but reiterated that the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has barred Ms Yingluck, who awaits legal proceedings on corruption-related charges, from travelling abroad.
However, Gen Udomdej, also deputy defence minister, admitted he could not predict whether Ms Yingluck will stay to fight the case or try to flee.
"I believe she has personal and social responsibilities, and this case is not finished," Gen Udomdej said.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission filed a lawsuit with the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) accusing Ms Yingluck of negligence concerning the corruption and huge losses incurred by her government's rice scheme.
Ms Yingluck is required to report to the OAG next Thursday for formal indictment and then arraignment in the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions, the same court that sentenced her brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, to two years' imprisonment for abuse of power concerning a land deal in 2008.
He was convicted in absentia because he fled the country.
Amid the speculation of her fleeing the country, Ms Yingluck appeared in public in Chiang Mai and spent time with her family at a restaurant.
US Charge d'Affaires W Patrick Murphy said Wednesday he had not heard of reports that Ms Yingluck wanted asylum, but he said the US would not take political sides.
Mr Murphy, however, repeated the US government's call for Thailand to return to democracy.
Meanwhile, the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship leader Jatuporn Prompan saw the speculation as a way to encourage Ms Yingluck to leave.
"They want her to flee because they know they cannot handle the reaction of the mass of the people if Ms Yingluck is sent to jail," Mr Jatuporn said.
Mr Jatuporn did not specify who "they" are, but observers have suggested it may be in the military government's interests to let her leave.
"It is too soon to tell, but it is also difficult to imagine Ms Yingluck in prison," said Chulalongkorn professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak. "If the noose tightens to the point that a jail term is imminent, the likelihood will grow that she will skip town."
He added that the military government might well let her do so because as a living martyr on Thai soil, she will be more problematic here than abroad.
Former foreign minister and Democrat party executive Kasit Piromya said Ms Yingluck is unlikely to qualify for political asylum because she faces criminal charges.
According to Siam University law professor Jade Donavanik, three conditions are necessary for a person to be granted political asylum. The asylum seeker is treated without fairness in his or her home country, the seeker faces a biased judicial process as a result, and the host country must also possess legal standards guaranteeing justice and fairness.
In the case of Ms Yingluck, Mr Jade added that the US or United Kingdom, if she seeks asylum there, would need to admit first that the judicial cases Ms Yingluck faces in Thailand are unfair, before moving on to examine possible consequences for her. Secondly, they would need to look at her financial assets and evaluate whether or not she would be able to sustain a certain lifestyle abroad, he said.
Remarking on comments by Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel last month, Mr Jade said they "sound more like political opinions than a political stance from the US government".
Ms Yingluck's case was also highlighted in a briefing to the 25 military attachés in Thailand by the NCPO. Council spokesman Winthai Suwaree said the military has affirmed to the foreign military representatives that the cases were not politically motivated.
"The NCPO ... did not interfere in the judicial process," Col Winthai said.