Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former Sri Lankan president, has requested to enter Thailand for a temporary stay. This marks the second Southeast Asian country Rajapaksa has attempted to enter after he fled his nation last month due to mass protests. The Thai foreign ministry reported the request on Wednesday. Rajapaksa entered Singapore on July 14 due to the unprecedented unrest caused by the economic crisis. The crisis was the worst in seven decades, prompting thousands of protestors to storm the president’s residence and office.
Rajapaksa then resigned from the presidency. This makes him the first Sri Lankan head of state to quit mid-term. Rajapaksa is expected to head for the capital city of Bangkok on Thursday, according to official sources. The Sri Lankan foreign ministry has not commented on the matter. Rajapaksa’s diplomatic passport grants him entry into the country of Thailand for 90 days, the country confirmed. Singapore confirmed earlier this month that the state had not granted the former head of state any privileges or immunity during his stay.
Read More: Sri Lanka’s ousted president seeking entry to Thailand after weeks in Singapore
