BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who faces a slew of court cases, has been barred from leaving the country by order of the Supreme Court, a court official said Friday.

Thaksin and his wife Pojaman are due to appear in court Tuesday to face charges of abuse of power and conflict of interest in the purchase of prime Bangkok real estate during his term.

Toppled in a 2006 military coup, Thaksin faces other court action on similar charges.

“The court ruled that his request for foreign trips was not justified at this time,” Rakkiat Pattanaphong, secretary general of the Supreme Court, told The Associated Press without elaboration.

Last month, Thaksin's defense lawyer said his client wanted to travel to China, Japan and England, where he owns property and the Manchester City football club.

In next week's case, Thaksin and Pojaman have been charged with malfeasance and conflict of interest for the 2003 purchase of a plot of land in central Bangkok from a government agency.

An anti-corruption law bars prime ministers and their spouses from doing business with government agencies. But there is some dispute over whether the law applies in this case because the agency that sold the land was not technically under the authority of the prime minister.

Both Thaksin and his wife have pleaded innocent.

Thaksin returned from exile in February, vowing to clear his name after opponents accused him of corruption and destroying Thai democracy. A political power made up mainly of his followers won elections last December, paving the way for his return.