The flight of former Thai PM Yingluck Shinawatra should not come as a huge surprise to anyone. She has been subject to vilification, massive financial penalties and the threat of imprisonment since the overthrow of her Government three years ago. The climate in Bangkok does not favour those disposed towards provincial largesse, since the Bangkok elites now appear to be back in control. Miss Shinawatra's brother, former PM Thaksin, is also in exile with little chance of return.

There is talk that even as they berated Shinawatra, the regime was facilitating her flight. Yingluck behind bars would have been a red rag to the, em, Red Shirts, who may well have taken their ire to the streets again. Many would have seen a conviction as a political judgement, not unreasonable given the current climate. Perhaps the Shinawatra era is over, though as for that, I am not so sure.