Thailand's deputy prime minister says possible Yingluck has fled Thailand

Thai deputy prime minister Prawit Wongsuwan said on Friday that it was possible ousted prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has fled the country.

"It is possible that she has fled already," Prawit told reporters as he left a meeting in Bangkok. He had earlier told reporters that he had no confirmation on Yingluck's whereabouts.

Yingluck, 50, whose family has dominated Thai politics for more than 15 years, faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty in a case centred on the multi-billion dollar losses incurred by a rice subsidy scheme for farmers.

The court set a new date of Sept. 27 for the verdict, and said it would seek an arrest warrant for Yingluck as it did not believe her excuse that she could not attend the court hearing because of an ear problem.