An official of Yingluck’s Pheu Thai party, who is close to the Shinawatra family, told The Associated Press she was no longer in Thailand. A verdict had been expected Friday, as thousands of Yingluck supporters gathered outside the court and thousands of police stood guard. Fearing potential unrest, authorities tried to deter people from turning out Friday by threatening legal action against anyone planning to help transport Yingluck supporters. Critics say they were effectively a means of vote-buying, while Yingluck supporters welcomed them. In Washington, the U.S. State Department declined to comment, saying the court process and verdicts were internal matters for Thailand.

Source: National Post August 26, 2017 03:19 UTC