Deposed Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is expected to arrive in Thailand on Thursday. He has sought temporary asylum in a second Southeast Asian country after fleeing his country last month amid mass protests. The news agency Reuters reported the information citing two sources.
Rajapakse fled to Singapore via Maldives in the face of mass protests on July 14. He resigned there. After his resignation, Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as the country’s president.
The former president is expected to leave Singapore for the Thai capital of Bangkok on Thursday, two sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry did not immediately comment to Reuters. Thai government spokesman Ratchada Thanadirek told Reuters there was “no comment”.
Rajapakse has not made any public appearances or comments since leaving Sri Lanka. Singapore’s government said this month that the country did not grant him any special privileges or immunity.
Earlier, Ranil Wickremesinghe, Rajapaksa’s successor, had hinted that the former president would refrain from returning to Sri Lanka in the near future.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal on July 31, Wickramasinghe said, “I don’t think it’s time for him to come back.”
If Rajapaksa returns to Sri Lanka, he may not be protected under the law if any charges are filed against him, legal experts said.