The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revoked all passports of Chaturon Chaisaeng, a leading member of the Pheu Thai Party and former education minister in the Yingluck government, a source said.
The source said the ministry’s Department of Consular Affairs was acting on a request submitted two weeks ago by the Royal Thai Police.
Mr Chaturon failed to report to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) after the May 22, 2014 coup and was arrested by the military five days later while holding a packed press briefing at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand on Phloenchit Road in Bangkok, where he opposed the coup and said he would not flee.
The military court granted him bail on a 400,000 baht surety on June 6 on condition he must not take part in political gatherings or incite public disorder.
The written request from the police cited Mr Chaturon’s criticism of the government’s and the NCPO’s work, especially the fact that he faces charges for defying the NCPO’s summons to report in, breaching martial law and inciting unrest in violation of Section 116 of the Criminal Code.
The ministry source said passport cancellation was a normal practice at the ministry. However, it could not proceed on its own and needed a request from authorised agencies such as the Royal Thai Police, the Office of the Attorney-General or the court.
The source said the approval was in line with the ministry’s regulations dealing with rejection and suspension of passports which allowed police and justice authorities to seek passport revocation of a person facing a criminal court case and released on bail.