Britain revokes Thaksin's visa

LONDON, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Britain reportedly has revoked the visas of former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife, who have been living in England for two years.

The revocation was confirmed by the Thai Foreign Ministry and airline officials who received an e-mail telling them not to let the couple board flights to Britain, the BBC reported Saturday.

The Thaksins, who were believed to be traveling in Asia, had yet to be notified of the revocation, their spokesman, Phongthep Thepkanjana, said Friday.

Thaksin was deposed in a military coup in 2006 and later convicted by a Thai court of corruption and sentenced to two years in prison. His wife faces three years for tax evasion, the BBC reported.

Thaksin has invested heavily in British properties and in August sold his ownership of the professional soccer team in Manchester, the BBC reported. He retains popular support in rural parts of Thailand but also has many detractors who want to see him in prison, the British network said.