Probe into Thaksin’s 'khmer nationality'

Thaksin (L) confided to Hun Sen.

Bangkok Post

The Foreign Ministry will investigate a report on a Cambodian blog that former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was granted Cambodian citizenship and issued with a Cambodian passport in March last year.

“The ministry had earlier asked Cambodian authorities about this issue, but had never received a response," the foreign minister's secretary-general, Chavanont Intharakomalsuth said on Friday afternoon.

"A serious effort will be made to check on this again," Mr Chavanont said.

The blogspot KI-media made the claim in a "Khmer Intelligence News" report posted on Feb 1:

The report said: Thailand's fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra obtained a Cambodian passport in the last week of March 2009. The Royal Decree granting Thaksin Khmer citizenship was signed off by CPP and Senate President Chea Sim in his capacity then as Acting Head of State. King Norodom Sihamoni had been “advised” to unexpectedly but discretely leave Cambodia for France in that last week of March 2009 in order to keep secret the CPP decision to grant Khmer citizenship to thaksin. http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html

Democrat Party spokesman Buranat Samutharak raised the report today.

“This has enabled Thaksin to obtain a passport and conveniently travel to and from Cambodia,” Mr Buranat said, adding that he had referred the matter to Mr Chavanont.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Friday that he had no knowledge of Thaksin having changed his nationality, but he insisted that Thaksin can have only one nationality at a time.

If he had Cambodian nationality, he would have to give up his Thai nationality, he said.
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Abhisit says Thaksin must forego Thai citizenship if he becomes Cambodian

The Nation

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Friday that former prime Thaksin Shinawatra will have to forego his Thai citizenship if he wants to become a Cambodian citizen.

Abhsiit was commenting on reports that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen would give Cambodian citizenship to Thaksin.

Abhsit said he has not been formally informed of Thaksin being naturalized Cambodian.

"But by the standard of Thai laws, a Thai citizen must hold a single citizenship. If he wants to become a Cambodian citizen, he must forego the Thai citizenship," Abhisit said.

The Nation