Thailand’s fugitive former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, visited Burma last week, his lawyer Noppadon Pattama has told The Bangkok Post, but he insisted that Thaksin had only made a brief stopover on his way to Dubai in order to make merit at a Buddhist temple. Photos emerged of Thaksin paying his respects to Burmese monks last week, giving rise to speculation over the purpose of his visit. Thai opposition lawmakers alleged that Thaksin was hatching plans to address Thailand’s political crisis from a base in Burma’s Shan State. Noppadon also denied reports that Thaksin met with his ex-wife Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra in Burma.