Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa arrived in Bangkok after his residence visa in Singapore expired, where he had sought refuge after fleeing from his palace that was stormed by protesters in Colombo. A senior Thai official confirmed that the ousted president arrived on a private jet that landed at Don Mueang International Airport around 8:00 PM local time (12:00 PM UTC).
Local media reported that he left the VIP lounge at the airport after about forty minutes with his wife and boarded a black car. A spokesperson from the Thai Foreign Ministry stated in a press release distributed to the media: "As the former president holds a Sri Lankan diplomatic passport, he can enter Thailand without a visa and stay for up to ninety days." He added that "the stay is temporary before proceeding to another trip," implying departure from Thailand, and confirmed that "he has not applied for political asylum."
Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled Sri Lanka on July 9 after tens of thousands of protesters stormed his official residence due to the severe economic crisis in the country.
