Jakrapob Penkair, a former redshirt leader, returned to Bangkok today, ending his 15 years of self-imposed exile abroad.
After arriving at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, he was escorted to the Crime Suppression Division HQ, where he surrendered to a 1997 arrest warrant, relating to an accusation of criminal association. His elder sister and his secretary were there, prepared to post bail for him.
Also waiting for him were people dressed in red, who cheered when he appeared. They gave him red roses and encouraged him to continue fighting.
Jakrapob, 57, announced his imminent return from exile on his Facebook page yesterday. He wrote that he wants to return to serve the country.
His secretary told the media that Jakrapob is ready to fight the charges filed against him, adding that he had not returned to Thailand for 15 years because he was engaged in “missions” and during that time Thailand had no democratic government.
Jakrapob was a government spokesman under the Thaksin Shinawatra administration and a PM Office Minister in the Samak Sundaravej government.
He was once charged with lèse majesté for a speech he gave at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Bangkok, but the charge was subsequently dropped.
He went into exile shortly after the coup in 2006.
