Former Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa asked to travel to Thailand

Rajapaksa has been in Singapore since fleeing Sri Lanka in July. Rajapaksa stated that as Sri Lankan diplomatic passport holders, they can enter Thailand without a visa for up to 90 days, emphasizing that the stay is temporary and does not require political asylum.

Rajapaksa arrived in Singapore on July 14, days after first fleeing Sri Lanka for the Maldives, where angry protesters called for his ouster over economic mismanagement. Rajapaksa then asked to leave Singapore.

The former leader’s hasty exit last month was a historic moment for the 22 million people who had been ruled by the Rajapakas with an iron fist for the past two decades before losing the confidence of their citizens.

Rajapaksa is not the first member of the family to become president. His brother Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected to the top job in 2005 and

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who served as defense secretary at the time, has accused the brothers of war crimes by rights groups – which the family denies.

Recently, many Sri Lankans have accused the Rajapakas of misusing the country’s economy.

After storming the presidential palace, thousands of jubilant Sri Lankans swam in Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s pool, sang in the dining hall and danced in the bustling courtyard of one of the country’s most guarded buildings.

Wickremesinghe appears to have distanced himself from Rajapaksa, telling CNN last month that the former government was “covering up the facts” about the economic crisis.