Sri Lanka president on the run: Rajapaksa exits Singapore for Thailand

Sri Lanka's former president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has left Singapore, the city-state's immigration office said, after his social visit pass expired.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled his island nation last month after widespread protests, is expected to land in Thailand and spend some time there before moving on to another Southeast Asian nation.

Following enormous turmoil over his administration's handling of the greatest economic crisis in seven decades and days after tens of thousands of protestors stormed the president's official mansion and office, Rajapaksa fled to Singapore on July 14 and resigned from office shortly after.

Rajapaksa will reportedly return to Sri Lanka in November when his 90-day visa to Thailand expires and as he runs out of options to find temporary refuge in another nation.

Rajapaksa will be allowed admission into Thailand on humanitarian grounds, and the Thai Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-O-Cha, yesterday assured foreign media that it would only be a brief visit.

In order to get Rajapaksa's permission to take up temporary residence in Thailand, the Sri Lankan government had filed a direct plea on his behalf.

The Sri Lankan administration has been in contact with the governments of Singapore, the Maldives, and now Thailand since Rajapaksa left Colombo last month for the Maldives to make arrangements for Rajapaksa to temporarily stay in those nations.

According to the Sri Lankan newspaper Daily Mirror, only the Air Force jet that took him and his wife from Colombo to Male last month was paid for with state money. The other expenses for the Rajapaksas to depart the nation were covered by him and his son, Manoj Rajapaksa.

The former President's accommodations are being paid for by wealthy businesses thanks to the Rajapaksas' strong contacts abroad.