Thailand has prepared extradition papers for Thaksin Shinawatra ahead of the fugitive former premier’s visit to neighbouring Cambodia this week, according to a Government prosecutor.
Thaksin, who was ousted in a coup in 2006 and now lives abroad to avoid a jail term for graft, sparked a furious row between Bangkok and Phnom Penh last week by accepting a position as economic adviser to Cambodia’s government.
The billionaire telecommunications tycoon is due to make a speech to Cambodian economics experts at the country’s finance ministry on Thursday, sparking calls from Thailand for Cambodia to extradite him.
‘We have extradition papers ready but our documents must be approved by the attorney general after we receive a request by the foreign ministry or police,’ Sirasak Tiypan of the Thai attorney general's office said.
‘The papers are the same we have sent to Fiji, Nicaragua and the United Arab Emirates.’
The Thai government said last week that it would seek Thaksin’s extradition as soon as he set foot in Cambodia.
But Cambodia has said it will reject any such request.
The feud over Thaksin had already prompted Thailand and Cambodia to recall their ambassadors from each others' capitals last Thursday.
The Thai government also threatened to close their shared border.
The two countries have fought a series of skirmishes over disputed land around a Cambodian 11th century temple on the frontier since it was granted UN World Heritage status in July 2008.
