ENGLISH DEYEA NEWS

By GRANT PECK / AP WRITER | BANGKOK — Thailand's former prime minister once used tax havens to shelter the fortune he made in telecommunications. Now, as a fugitive facing jail time, he is seeking a haven for himself.

Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Potjaman. (Photo: Reuters)

Last month, a Thai court found Thaksin Shinawatra guilty of conflict of interest in a land deal and handed down a 2-year sentence. Thaksin had already fled to London, where he is reported to own a multimillion dollar apartment as well as a five-bedroom mansion in the suburbs.

But then Britain canceled his visa while he was out of the country.

As of Friday, he was in Hong Kong, but a close associate said he would be leaving soon. It's anybody's guess where he is headed next.

Thai media are full of speculation. Bermuda? Dubai? The Central African Republic?

Thaksin was prime minister from 2001 to 2006, when he was toppled in a military coup. He still wields influence with the current government, and protesters have occupied the main government office in Bangkok for the past three months seeking to force his allies from power as well.

Thaksin's conviction stems from his time as prime minister, when his wife bought land from a state agency, violating a ban on officials and spouses making contracts with the government. They still face several more serious charges.

The former leader is not exactly trapped. First off, he is believed to have hundreds of millions of dollars at his disposal. Secondly, he has a Thai diplomatic passport, a courtesy given to former prime ministers in Thailand, allowing him visa-free entry to 40 countries.

But as pressure mounts on the government to withdraw that privilege, Thaksin is looking increasingly like a man without a country.

"His primary concern will be to move to a country without an extradition treaty with Thailand," says Dan Nardello, a former US federal prosecutor who heads Nardello & Co., an investigations firm with offices in New York, London and Washington, D.C.

"While it is difficult to generalize, former leaders in similar situations also tend to turn to countries where they have a pre-existing personal or professional connection—for example, countries in which Thaksin was seen as instrumental in supporting trade," Nardello says.

Jakrapob Penkair, a political ally of Thaksin, confirmed reports that the former prime minister is in Hong Kong. Reached by phone Friday, Jakrapob said Thaksin would be leaving soon, but declined to say where.

China is frequently mentioned as a possible sanctuary. Thaksin has business associates in China and was "on vacation" there earlier this week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

Chinese media reported that he had bought a home on a golf course at the Huabin Golf Club in northern Beijing, but a receptionist in the club's marketing department said it was just a rumor.

China is unlikely to allow Thaksin to stay, unless the Thai government signals it would be fine leaving him in exile there. Thailand is too important a political and trade partner for Beijing to buck the government. China also has an extradition treaty with Thailand.

The two other places most frequently mentioned, the Bahamas and the United Arab Emirates, don't have extradition treaties.

Fugitives and celebrities have long favored the Bahamas, including Robert Vesco, an American financier and major contributor to Richard Nixon's presidential campaign. Vesco fled embezzlement charges.

The Caribbean archipelago's attractions include no taxes on income, capital gains or inheritances. Any foreigner who buys a home worth at least $500,000 can become eligible for permanent residence.

In recent years, the Bahamas has introduced several proposals to strengthen laws against harboring fugitives from other countries.

The Thai press has reported that the Bahamas may have given Thaksin honorary citizenship, but officials there said Thaksin has not made an asylum bid.

"To the best of my knowledge, I am not aware of any request, nor has any honorary citizenship been granted for the former prime minister of Thailand," said Brent Symonette, deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs.

Likewise, officials in Bermuda, a British territory off the east coast of the United States, shot down reports he could be headed there.

"I know nothing about it. It's absolutely not true," Premier Ewart Brown said on Wednesday.

The latest rumors suggest Thaksin may be looking to the United Arab Emirates, but that seems to be based on little more than Thaksin's recent sale of his British football club to a group of investors in Abu Dhabi.

The Persian Gulf federation has played host to out-of-favor overseas officials in the past.

An immigration department official in Dubai said he was unaware of any interest by Thaksin in coming to the United Arab Emirates. The foreign ministry in Abu Dhabi, the capital, could not be reached for comment.

Long shots include some impoverished African countries—Togo, the Central African Republic and Chad—that are reportedly seeking him as an economic adviser.

Many African nations have sheltered out-of-power leaders from elsewhere on the continent, and some have agreed to deals brokered by more powerful nations looking for places to stash unsavory ex-leaders.

"Lots of countries would welcome him with open arms because he is business-savvy and policy-savvy. He can be an asset to any government," says Jakrapob, the ally of Thaksin. "But he likes being close to home. He likes Asia. He likes being close to his constituents."