PM Anutin has defended Thaksin Shinawatra’s high-profile meetings with ASEAN leaders, insisting they were private visits between friends, not politics, after the former premier’s Jakarta talks and a deleted Facebook post over Malaysia shrimp negotiations.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has defended former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s meetings with leaders in Malaysia and Indonesia, rejecting suggestions they were politically motivated and insisting they reflected long-standing personal friendships. His remarks followed Thaksin’s talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto before attention shifted to a Facebook post shared and later deleted by Mr Anutin concerning Thaksin’s reported role in Thai-Malaysian shrimp negotiations that produced a breakthrough for Thai producers.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has dismissed suggestions that recent overseas meetings involving the Shinawatra family carried political significance.
Instead, he described the visits as private engagements between long-standing friends and regional leaders. He also stressed that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was acting in a personal capacity rather than representing the Thai government.
Speaking on July 10, Mr Anutin said Thaksin was free to travel wherever he wished. He added that the former premier could meet anyone he chose. “He is free to go wherever he wants. Why are reporters questioning this?” Mr Anutin said. Nevertheless, he rejected attempts to portray the trips as politically significant.
Anutin says Thaksin’s overseas visits reflect long-standing personal friendships not political moves
In response to questions about visits to Malaysia and Indonesia, Mr Anutin said Thaksin had maintained close relationships with ASEAN leaders for many years. According to the Prime Minister, those friendships had endured across different governments.
He recalled that after Thaksin first returned to Thailand, he visited Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Bangkok. That meeting occurred before Mr Prabowo assumed office. Mr Anutin cited the visit as evidence of an established personal relationship.
“Today, he will be meeting with whoever he wants, wherever he wants,” Mr Anutin said. “As a former leader, he could meet with anyone. He is doing so in a personal capacity, not in his capacity as a government official.”
Attention also turned to photographs showing Thaksin alongside former prime ministers Yingluck Shinawatra and Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Reporters asked whether three former prime ministers from one family appearing together carried a wider political meaning. However, Mr Anutin immediately dismissed that suggestion.
Anutin dismisses Shinawatra family reunion as private while rejecting political power struggle claims
“One is their sister, the other is their daughter. It’s a family matter,” he said. “Reporters don’t need to be suspicious about anything. None of us is suspicious either. Why should reporters be suspicious? They are free to go wherever they want, just like any other person.”
Reporters then questioned whether the overseas meetings reflected a political power struggle. Mr Anutin declined to accept that premise. “That’s the kind of question you’re asking,” he replied. When pressed further, he maintained the same position. “I’m not viewing it that way. All three of them went out of friendship with the leaders of each country they visited.”
Meanwhile, Mr Anutin’s comments followed Thaksin’s visit to Jakarta with Yingluck and Paetongtarn. The three met Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at his private residence on Kertanegara Road on Wednesday.
According to Indonesia’s Presidential Secretariat, the discussions took place in a warm and familiar atmosphere. Officials said the meeting reinforced a friendship built over many years.
Indonesia says Jakarta meeting deepened long-standing ties through regional and global talks
Notably, Indonesian Cabinet Secretary Tedi Indra Wijaya said both sides exchanged views on strategic issues, regional developments and global geopolitical changes.
He added that Indonesia continued to strengthen communication with world leaders and distinguished international figures. The effort, he said, aimed to expand international cooperation and reinforce Indonesia’s role on the global stage.
Separately, Indonesia’s Antara news agency reported that President Prabowo welcomed Thaksin and his family to discuss regional and global developments.
The Presidential Secretariat confirmed that Thaksin travelled with members of his family, including former prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. The Indonesian government described the visit as another opportunity to deepen long-standing ties.
According to Paetongtarn, the discussions also covered economics, investment, wealth management and asset management. She disclosed the details in a Facebook post published on Friday. “The Indonesian president warmly welcomed three former prime ministers of Thailand,” she wrote. She said the talks ranged from economic issues to investment opportunities and financial management.
Prabowo’s ties with Thaksin extend to Danantara advisory role and efforts to bolster investor confidence
The Indonesian report also highlighted President Prabowo’s enduring relationship with the Shinawatra family despite political changes in Thailand over recent years.
Earlier this year, he appointed Thaksin to the Advisory Council of Danantara, Indonesia’s national wealth fund. The report said the appointment was intended to strengthen investor confidence after volatility in Indonesia’s stock market.
As part of this role, Thaksin now serves on the Danantara Advisory Council, which advises Indonesia’s state investment management agency. Previously, he received a royal pardon marking Her Majesty the Queen’s fourth cycle birthday anniversary. That pardon was granted last month.
On another front, Mr Anutin briefly attracted attention later on Friday after sharing a Facebook post from a Pheu Thai Party supporter page. The post claimed Thaksin had invited Deputy Prime Minister Suriya to conclude discussions with Malaysia over a Thai shrimp export issue before Mr Anutin’s arrival.
Anutin deletes shared post on Thaksin’s Malaysia shrimp talks after saying it was posted by mistake
The shared message stated: “Rumours are spreading!! Former Prime Minister Thaksin invited Deputy Prime Minister Suriya to close a deal on the shrimp problem with Malaysia before Prime Minister Anutin arrived.” Shortly afterwards, the post disappeared from Mr Anutin’s Facebook page.
When questioned, Mr Anutin said the post had been shared by mistake. “I accidentally pressed share, it wasn’t intentional,” he said. “Thank you to the reporter who called to inform me.”
Ex PM Thaksin’s release on Monday already celebrated by supporters and redshirts as he is granted parole
Thaksin free after electronic bracelet is removed. Plans to fly to Dubai to see Yingluck at end of June
Throughout Friday’s exchanges, Mr Anutin consistently separated Thaksin’s private activities from official government business. Likewise, he maintained that former national leaders remained free to travel overseas, preserve personal friendships and meet foreign leaders privately.
Finally, he rejected repeated attempts to frame the visits as political manoeuvring, insisting they reflected long-established personal relationships rather than official government activity.
All headlines have been written to summarise the following section, with paragraph structure preserved exactly and only minor corrections made.
