Thai ex-PM leaves country before parliament votes on leadership

BANGKOK, Sept 5: Thailand's influential former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra said Friday he has left the country by private jet, hours before his party looks set to be ousted from top office.

Thaksin's dynasty has for decades jousted with the kingdom's pro-military, pro-monarchy elite -- but its influence is declining, bedevilled by increasing legal and political setbacks.

In an early-morning post on social media site X, Thaksin said he left Thailand for a medical check-up in Singapore, but diverted to Dubai because of an airport closure and will "visit friends" there as well as meeting respiratory and orthopaedic doctors.

Thaksin's daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra was sacked last Friday by the Constitutional Court for an ethics breach.    �"AFP