Thailand to try to extradite Shinawatra
Updated
Thailand has begun the lengthy process to try to extradite former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who skipped bail this week and went into exile in London.
Thailand's Supreme Court issued arrest warrants on Monday for Thaksin and his wife, Potjaman, and seized $US385,000 in bail bonds after the couple failed to appear in a corruption case.
In a statement from London, Mr Thaksin said his decision to jump bail was because political enemies who engineered the 2006 coup were meddling in the courts, making it impossible for him to receive a fair hearing in Thailand.
He also apologised to the court for failing to appear in the case, which relates to his wife's purchase of state land for a knock-down price while he was in office.
