Thailand says former Sri Lanka president seeking visit, not asylum

 

Former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa has requested entry into Thailand for a temporary stay in a second Southeast Asian country after fleeing his island nation last month amid mass protests, the Thai foreign ministry said on Wednesday. 

Tanee Sangrat, a Thai foreign ministry spokesman, said Rajapaksa holds a diplomatic passport that allows him entry into the country for 90 days. 

“The entry to Thailand by the former president of Sri Lanka is for a temporary stay,” Sangrat said.