Sri Lanka's ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa is expected to arrive in Thailand from Singapore on Thursday and seek temporary shelter, nearly a month after fleeing the island nation amid massive protests, Reuters reported. Rajapaksa is expected to leave Singapore and go to Thailand's capital Bangkok, sources told Reuters.
The report comes days after Sri Lanka's Cabinet spokesman Bandula Gunawardena said the ex-president was not hiding and would return to the country from Singapore.
Sri Lanka's foreign ministry and a spokesperson of the Thailand government did not respond to requests for comment on Rajapaksa.
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On July 13, hours before he was supposed to step down as president in the face of protests against him for mishandling the economy, Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives on a military jet.
The unprecedented economic crisis, the worst since Sri Lanka gained independence in 1948, has triggered severe shortages of food, fuel, medicines and other essentials.
On July 14, Rajapaksa arrived in Singapore on a Saudia flight. After Rajapaksa landed in Singapore, the Singapore Foreign Affairs Ministry said the former president was allowed entry on a "private visit". The ministry also said Rajapaksa had not asked for asylum.
The same night Rajapaksa sent his resignation letter via email from Singapore to Parliament Speaker, becoming the first Sri Lankan president to quit mid-term.
On July 27, the Singapore government allowed Rajapaksa to extend his stay in the country for another 14 days. The Straits Times newspaper reported that Rajapaksa's short-term visit pass had been extended. Rajapaksa has not been seen in public in Singapore in the past one month.
On July 20, Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as the country's new president. In an interview with Wall Street Journal last month, Wickremesinghe indicated that the former president should refrain from returning to Sri Lanka in the near future.
"I don't believe it's the time for him to return. I have no indication of him returning soon," Wickremesinghe had said.