Thread: Not news ...yet, but may be soon.

An interesting (maybe) tidbit;
I flew today from BKK to Savannaket accompanied by my wife and her best friend.
Route is: BKK to Pakse, where we disembarked, were asked if we were travelling on to Savanaket or Vientienne, and upon replying we're ongoing, were simply given a "In Transit" card and ushered to the transit loungs. Upon the flight being ready to continue, all the transit passengers did was show the card and boarded whereas new passengers en route to Sav or Vient had to show boarding passes.
Nothing extraordinary, but not particularly secure.
Anyway, upon arrival in Sav, I had to go through the visa-on-arrival guff, whereas wife and friend being Thai just went straight through passport control at immigration. All the passengers going on to Vient went through the same transit process that we went through previously at Bakse.
By the time my visa was done, all other disembarked passengers had gone through.
Lao immigration approached both my wife and her friend who were waiting for me at the baggage claim table (quaint!) to ask them if they had seen Somchai Wongsawat (Thaksin Shinawatra's BiL). Apparently he had boarded at BKK and was supposed to dismbark at Sav, but didn't.
Lao Immigration then demanded to see all transit passengers' passports. Still not found, as far as I could tell.

So, what I take from this is two things; Somchai W is on the run, maybe, and Lao immigration have been alerted by Thailand.
Perhaps he got off at Pakse?

Anyway, I think it odd that Lao immigration asked two strangers, normal civilians, if they had seen a semi-famous person who they were looking for and who had disappeared.

I'd be interested if anything pops up in the news.
Interested if anyone knows what it may be about.

Originally Posted by Maanaam

ask them if they had seen Somchai Wongsawat (Thaksin Shinawatra's BiL). Apparently he had boarded at BKK and was supposed to dismbark at Sav, but didn't.

So, what I take from this is two things; Somchai W is on the run, maybe, and Lao immigration have been alerted by Thailand.

If Thai authorities allowed him to board at Bangkok, I doubt he is on the run from them. Just keeping tabs on his movements is more likely. He could be going to visit Mr T and they want to know where Mr T is at the moment.

OK, yes that sounds reasonable.
So, is he perhaps avoiding that surveilance, because he had slipped under the net somewhere along the way.
He must have got off at Pakse and Pakse Immigration were not alerted beforehand and thus were not looking out for him (easy to do with a Thai passport).

If he was going to meet T that would account for his unscheduled detour. Even Thai intel services know two ways to shake off goons are to lead in the wrong direction, and to appear to be going somewhere.

Thai intelligence agencies.
Pondering if they match any such standards.