The Criminal Court on Thursday denied former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra permission to travel to Qatar.
Thaksin, accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Maris Sangiampongsa as a witness, submitted the request on Thursday morning. They came to present to court documents and information about his travel itinerary, according to a source.
Thaksin planned to visit Qatar at the invitation of the Emir, or the head of state. No further details were disclosed as of press time.
The court rejected Thaksin's request, as the invitation was seen as a personal matter, the source said.
Under the terms of his bail, Thaksin is prohibited from leaving the country without permission pending trial on lese-majeste and computer crime charges stemming from a 2015 interview in South Korea. Witness testimony is scheduled for July this year.
Thaksin has been permitted temporary leave from the country twice since his bail was granted last February.
On Jan 31, the Criminal Court approved temporary leave for the 76-year-old former premier to attend an Asean meeting in Malaysia on Feb 2-3, with a 5-million-baht cash surety.
The court approved Thaksin's other request on Feb 15, as he asked to attend another Asean meeting in Brunei on Feb 19-20. He provided a similar amount of surety.
The latest request included a Cambodia stopover, at the invitation of ex-prime minister Hun Sen. Thaksin also sought permission to travel to Vietnam.
