thaksin

In drug-ravaged communities, where the ends tend to justify the means, that was enough to turn Mr Thaksin into a hero.

Then again, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, his predecessor, repeatedly made the same promise right up to the moment he overthrew Mr Thaksin.

Mister Thaksin, in his first public statement after his ouster, said in London that he wanted to take a rest from politics.

Thus Mr Thaksin became the only prime minister in Thailand's fitful democratic history to serve out his full term.

Thaksin tried to head off the coup by telephoning a Thai television station from New York to announce a state of emergency.

The current, anti-Thaksin government has said it isn't ready to call elections soon but might do so at the end of the year.

At the start of the campaign Mr Thaksin called her his "clone" , as if to reassure nervous party stalwarts about her.

Mr Thaksin took office vowing to run his country like a company, leading voters to hope he would enrich them as well.

The Supreme Court issued warrants yesterday for the arrest of Mr Thaksin and his wife Pojamarn after they failed to appear in court.

This did not seem to help Puea Thai Party (PTP), the latest incarnation of Mr Thaksin's once-invincible electoral machine.

Five years of strenuous attempts by the Thai establishment to destroy Thaksin Shinawatra as a political force have come to naught.

Barring some sort of accord between the pro- and anti-Thaksin factions, the streets of Bangkok are primed for a new round of mass protests.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Friday said the campaign for a pardon for Thaksin Shinawatra lowers the status of the royal institution.

Japan says Thailand's new government, which is headed by Mr Thaksin's sister, asked it to let him in.

Thaksin and his wife, Pojaman, were in Beijing until Sunday for the opening of the Olympics.

So far Thaksin's spending spree appears to have had the desired effect.

He said Mr Thaksin could claim a breach of his rights or liberty or even a threat to personal safety.

No such scruples, of course, deterred Mr Thaksin's family from selling out to a foreign bidder, and a state-owned one at that.

Suu Kyi spent more than decade under house arrest for her political convictions, while Thaksin fled rather than do time for corruption.

'Thaksin called me to congratulate and encourage me, ' she said.

Mr Thaksin has called her his "clone" , and everyone knew it, though she insists that voters plumped for her policies and management style.

Thaksin's legal adviser Nuopa Dun 6, said he was believed to have accepted the U. S. invitation.

British authorities revoked entry visas for Mr. Thaksin and his wife, Pojaman Shinawatra, last week, the Thai government said Saturday.

First, Mr Thaksin was the most popular prime minister in Thailand's history, the only one to serve a full term and be re-elected.

Mr Thaksin was at the heart of these tensions.

Mr Thaksin himself a year ago unhelpfully called for a "revolution" .

That said, Mr Thaksin's government, far from ridding Thailand of this feudal mindset, was busy creating its own patronage system.

Lawyers represented Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife, Potjaman, in court in the proceedings at the Supreme Court.

Following the coup, Mr Thaksin has said he intends to take a "deserved rest" from politics.

Zhu said that Thaksin is the first foreign head of state to show his willingness to attend the BFA and thanked him for his support.

They bore the brunt of the violence a year ago, even if there were armed pro-Thaksin provocateurs.

The many "liberals" who despised Mr Thaksin and applauded the coup may argue that this vindicates them.

That deal triggered street protests that eventually led to a bloodless coup that brought down the Thaksin government.

The military government set up a special committee to investigate corruption allegations against Mr. Thaksin and members of his government.

The rallies appear to be part of a new strategy by Thaksin supporters to weaken the Abhisit government that came to power in December.

From his exile, Mr Thaksin denied, once again, that he was giving orders to the red-shirts leaders and urged everyone to embrace peace.

Mr Thaksin skirts the topic but insists he is ready to make peace and return home.

Thaksin was the only Thai prime minister to serve a full term and remains hugely popular.

In his speech , Mr Thaksin made no mention of the fact that to date no one has been prosecuted for involvement in those murders .

Addressing a crowd in Bangkok, Mr Thaksin said thousands of bad people had been imprisoned , and others had been killed.

One of these, Tourism Association Chairman Anusart Suwanmongkol, said Mr. Thaksin was told that the major concern is surviving the downturn.

Before he went into politics, Mr Thaksin made a fortune in telecommunications.

Yet Mr Thaksin, in exile and convicted in absentia of corruption, is accused by his opponents of being a closet republican.

Thaksin, a billionaire who was accused of corruption and ousted in a 2006 military coup, is now calling for a revolution.

It is far from clear whether the Thai establishment could stomach the return of Mr Thaksin that would then, almost inevitably, follow.

Many are loyal to a former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was kicked out in a 2006 coup.

It frames the crisis as a battle to save the revered monarchy from the clutches of the exiled former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra.

Prime Minister Yingluck leads the political party of her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister and an ally of Hun Sen.

It also exposed Mr Thaksin as a demagogue who is ready to incite a revolt from his Dubai redoubt.

This would apply to Thaksin and a number of politicians closely aligned with parties in the current governing coalition.

The generals signally failed to prove the claims of "rampant corruption" and other misdeeds by Mr Thaksin used to justify the coup.

Mr Thaksin returned to the prime minister's office to run the country as caretaker until a fresh election could be held.

A tricky question for the reds is what would happen if Mr Thaksin opts to call it quits.

'Mr. Thaksin has never thought about taking on any official role, and Ms. Yingluck has no intention of appointing him, ' Mr. Noppadon said.

'This government is only good for three things, ' Mr. Thaksin said. 'Borrowing, hiking taxes and hounding Thaksin.

Since the red shirts' defeat, Thaksin has cut back on his media appearances and political activities.

Rather than being a contest between policies, the election is shaping up as a referendum on Thaksin and his bitterly divisive legacy.

Earlier there were reports that Thaksin might seek amnesty from his sister Yingluck for his return.

A new row is over Thailand's former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, who lives in exile and is wanted at home on a criminal conviction.

It is unclear how soon Thai authorities will attempt to extradite Mr. Thaksin, or whether they really intend to do so.

Mr Thaksin, speaking on a satellite channel, condemned the verdict as "very political" and "a joke for the world" .

Massive protests in Bangkok backed by exiled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra have so far gone peacefully.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has sought ways of boosting local consumption to offset the effects of a sagging world economy.

As the bullets flew and the bodies fell, crocodile tears came from afar, as Mr Thaksin tweeted his sorrow to his followers.

Mr Thaksin became one of Thailand's richest people as a business man(businessman) in technology.

The last several weeks have seen a return of Thaksin's opponents to the streets in rallies against the Samak government.

The new parliament includes many Thaksin allies, indicating the exiled leader could be poised for a comeback.

Protracted protests by supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra have paralyzed parts of Bangkok.

The ousted former Prime Minister of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra has accused the army of interfering in the formation of a new government.

Thaksin, the former populist prime minister now wanted on terrorism charges for allegedly orchestrating much of the violence in Bangkok.

He knows that a red shirt, pro-Thaksin party, with its roots in the poor and populous north-east, might well win again.

Hun Sen told reporters at the summit that his "old friend" Mr Thaksin was welcome to seek asylum in Cambodia and to be his economic adviser.

Thaksin Shinawatra's sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, has also stressed that she plans to strengthen ties with neighboring countries.

Thailand's former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is cited in this book as deciding to become prime minister to protect his investments.

Thaksin Shinawatra went into exile in Cambodia to avoid a prison sentence for corruption.

Mr. Thaksin has kept a low profile since the violent collapse of antigovernment protests in Bangkok last spring.

This does not bode well for a party that has now lost four straight elections to pro-Thaksin parties.

It is the fifth consecutive victory for a pro-Thaksin party and is a sharp rebuke to the governing elites.

The ultranationalist, and anti-Thaksin, yellow shirts have called for an appointed royalist government to clean up politics.

It was bought with government funds, part of the largesse showered on rural voters during Mr Thaksin's five-year rule.

Mr. Thaksin, who was ousted in a military coup two years ago, denies wrong doing and accuses the judiciary of bias.

How this ends is not up to us, it's up to Thaksin.

Yet now even Mr Thaksin felt obliged to profess again his loyalty to the king, and to pay homage to his power.

The activities Sunday marked the fourth anniversary of a 2006 military coup that toppled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Mr. Abhisit formed a coalition government after court decisions banned several ministers in a pro-Thaksin government.

His critics, mostly from Thailand's urban middle and upper class, say Mr. Thaksin abused his power and was corrupt.

A "powerful and mighty" backer was reported to be pushing the second man, a former head of national intelligence under Mr Thaksin.

Reluctantly he was forced to sell, and he and his associates turned to the sheikhs, who are said to regard Thaksin well.

Indeed it may start to intensify, as Mr Thaksin's red-shirted followers agitate for political changes that go beyond his exoneration.

The election suggests that Mr Thaksin and his allies remain popular, despite many allegations of corruption and abuse of power.

Despite being in exile, Mr. Thaksin is able to rally strong support - recently more than 20, 000 Red Shirts demonstrated in Bangko.

The reshuffle set for October may reward pro-Thaksin officers who have been sidelined since the 2006 coup.

Opinion polls show Mr. Abhisit's Democrat Party neck-and-neck with the For Thais Party backed by Mr. Thaksin and his supporters.

The protesters have portrayed Mr. Samak as a proxy for Mr. Thaksin and his populist politics.

But however self-seeking and power-hungry Mr Thaksin may be, the red-shirt movement now dwarfs his individual ambition.

The latest unrest in Bangkok was led by red-shirted protesters roused by a televised call to arms by Mr Thaksin, a self-exiled fugitive.

But it knows that will not end the cycle of confrontation that began when Mr Thaksin was toppled in a coup in 2006.

But the elite in Bangkok would not tolerate another pro-Thaksin government.

Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister deposed in a coup in 2006, called on his followers to stage a "revolution" .

Support for the protests comes mostly from the rural and urban poor and working class, who support Mr. Thaksin's populist economic polices.

The fact that the election is centred on Mr Thaksin is unfortunate, if inevitable.

Insiders say that Mr Thaksin was a serious spoiler, as were General Khattiya and other radicals.

Under Mr Thaksin, extrajudicial squads killed thousands of suspected drug-pushers and other criminals.

During his campaigning for Sunday's election, Samak had no qualms about calling himself a Thaksin 'nominee.

Mr. Thaksin himself also telephoned local television networks to celebrate and urge reconciliation with Thailand's military.

Protesters loyal to ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra have crippled the capital's tourist hub of hotels and shopping attractions.

Since Mr Thaksin and his populist policies retain wide support, the PPP may enter the election campaign as front-runner.

Meanwhile, grassroots support for Mr. Thaksin and his populist policies still runs deep in rural Thailand. Mr.

Mr. Thaksin stepped aside after the April votes were questioned and handed power to his deputy.

The generals who staged the coup claimed to be saving Thai democracy from Mr Thaksin's abuses.

It had Mr Thaksin and more than 100 colleagues banned from politics for five years.

But rural voters again elected a government made up of Mr. Thaksin's followers, angering his political adversaries.

It pledges to repatriate Mr Thaksin as part of a political-amnesty scheme.

Since his return, Mr Thaksin has pledged to stay out of politics.

Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra says his Government has won its controversial campaign against drugs.

Faced with a hollow victory and mass protests, Mr Thaksin briefly stepped down.

Thaksin Shinawatra's return could spark another round of unrest in Thailand, but Yingluck says his return is not a priority right now.

Veera Musikapong, a moderate Thaksin follower, recommended surrender instead.

Supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra say petitions calling for his pardon have been signed by as many as 5m Thais.

The city is a hub in the country's poor agricultural northeast, where support for exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is high.

He and many of his peers could not stand the idea of an elected government loyal to Mr Thaksin.

As prime minister, Mr Thaksin championed the cause of the rural poor, mainly in the north.

The "red shirt" demonstrators are mainly supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006.

Mr Thaksin has called for the resignation of two privy counsellors whom he says were behind the 2006 coup.

New image: Since being deposed in a 2006 coup amid allegations of graft and human rights abuses, Thaksin has lived a peripatetic existence.

The plan to produce eco-cars on a large scale in Thailand emerged as a priority for the Thaksin government in 2004.

Even if he doesn't return, Mr. Thaksin's latest comments indicate he plans to exert a sizable influence from overseas.

There is little doubt, however, that Mr Thaksin held sway over the splintered, squabbling leadership of the UDD.

For the past three years, supporters and critics of Mr. Thaksin have competed in a sometimes violent tussle for power.

The court's verdict exposes Mr Thaksin and his family to a range of civil and criminal charges.

Mr Samak, once Mr Thaksin's sworn enemy, was now an opportunistic proxy for him.

But in the interview, Mr. Abhisit said he is 'confident' his party can make inroads in areas where Mr. Thaksin remains popular.

On May 25th the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), an anti-Thaksin group, returned to the streets with a rally in central Bangkok.

Thai media reports, this year's amnesty list to add new terms, or make exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was pardoned.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has criticized moves to seek a royal pardon for exiled leader Thaksin Shinawatra.

During the crackdown, Mr Thaksin was seen in Paris shopping at Louis Vuitton, an upmarket luggage shop.

After Mr Thaksin was ousted in a military coup in 2006, the extortionists returned to demand their cut.

Mr Thaksin is accused of rushing the airport's opening to boost his image ahead of the coming general election.

For Thailand's royalist generals, a victory for Mr Thaksin is an unpleasant prospect.

Eriksson has been in talks with prospective new City owner Thaksin Shinawatra and a three-year deal is understood to have been agreed.

Analysts say the Thai court's decision to issue the arrest warrant against Mr. Thaksin could limit his ability to travel overseas.

A lawyer for Mr Thaksin said yesterday that his client was seeking political asylum without specifying on what grounds.

Protests by yellow-shirted "royalists" and court rulings had toppled an elected government loyal to Mr Thaksin.

The yellow shirts, who brought down one pro-Thaksin government by occupying the airport, may take to the streets again.

The snag, of course, was that Mr Thaksin's party might very well have won them.

A new satellite-television channel, run by former Thaksin aides, was due to open on March 1st, but was blocked by the government.

Thaksin returned to Thailand this year after his political ally Samak Sundaravej was elected Prime Minister.

Thai courts charged Thaksin in absentia for his role in fomenting the protests.

Since 2001, Thais have overwhelmingly backed Mr Thaksin and his political parties in four straight elections.

This proved handy after Mr Thaksin's allies won an election in December 2007 and an inept military government was disbanded.

The outgoing interim prime minister, Surayud Chulanont, took office vowing to right Mr Thaksin's wrongs.

They face several cases alleging corruption and abuse of power during Mr Thaksin's nearly six-year tenure as premier.

But convenient court rulings helped bring down two successive pro-Thaksin governments.

Any compromise that pacifies Mr Thaksin needs the blessing of the revered monarch.

It also faced credible allegations of cronyism, and even Mr Thaksin's supporters concede he is "no monk" .

Not all red shirts are fans of Thaksin Shinawatra, the fugitive former prime minister, who backs the movement.

Thailand's fragile democracy has been derailed before, including by the military coup which removed Yingluck's brother Thaksin from power.

Mr. Thaksin, a billionaire businessman, is a controversial figure in Thai politics.

Other reds seem more interested in basking in Mr Thaksin's popularity and milking his largesse.

In the north and north-east of the country, bases of Mr Thaksin's support, the movement is even harder to repress.

Five years on, Mr Thaksin's political allies are heading back into power and dusting down their get-tough message.

Thaksin was ousted by the military in a 2006 coup, then convicted of corruption in absentia.

Thailand's Supreme Court ruled on the assets of Thaksin Shinawatra, an exiled former prime minister.

A deeply divisive figure, Thaksin is popular with the rural poor but is largely loathed by urban Thais.

The protesters largely support former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a coup in 2006.

Village elders praise the former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra.

Neither Mr. Thaksin nor his legal representatives responded to requests to comment.

Samak formed a six-party coalition government dominated by Thaksin supporters.

Mr. Thaksin currently lives in Dubai and travels on a Montenegro passport after being convicted of corruption in 2008.

Many non-partisan Thais had hoped that Pheu Thai would evolve into an issues-based party rather than remain a Thaksin fan-club. Fat chance.

Thaksin's supporters say Abhisit became prime minister last December only because of parliamentary defections that the military engineered.

Thaksin in a bloodless coup five years ago and still retain considerable power.

Many of the protesters are supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006.

Thaksin Shinawatra, whom the coup deposed as prime minister, spoke via video-link from exile.

Given Thailand's deep divisions and the polarising presence of Mr Thaksin, that may prove impossible.

I think a lot of people in Bangkok - and around the country but mostly in Bangkok - hate Thaksin for his corruption, for his collusion.

In 2006 Singapore's Temasek sparked a row in Thailand by buying the family telecoms business of the then prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thaksin reiterated that Thailand will follow the one-China policy, which Tang Jiaxuan appreciated.

Mr Samak, abrasive and uncouth, may prove an even more divisive prime minister than Mr Thaksin.

But Mr Thaksin is the former prime minister who will not fade away, let alone die.

In 2001 the then prime minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, introduced universal health care, a radical move.

He may regret not having moved earlier against the Thaksin forces.

Ms. Yingluck, a 44-year-old former business executive, tried to play down Mr. Thaksin's lecture, saying he was just offering support.

Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra himself worked at KFC fastfood outlet while studying in the US.

Nobody expects his Democrat party to win in the north-east, which has backed Mr Thaksin or his proxies in four elections since 2001.

Many analysts say Mr. Thaksin's allies would win a national election if one were held today.

Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted as prime minister in a military coup in 2006, and then fled the country.

Last month, a public-radio host who interviewed Mr Thaksin promptly lost his job.

Mr Thaksin complains that he has been "bullied politically" , and subjected to "Mickey Mouse" court cases.

In fact, Thaksin is from an established business dynasty involved in silk, finance and property.

Yet Pheu Thai's victory underscores Mr Thaksin's profound innovation, one that will outlive him.

Since 2001, the region has overwhelmingly voted for Mr Thaksin and his allies.

Since Mr Thaksin's ousting, Thailand has been convulsed by political fighting.

Mr Thaksin, deposed in a 2006 coup, has recently disappeared from view.

And Mr Thaksin, through a series of stunts such as bidding for Britain's Manchester City football club, has ensured he is not forgotten.

the alleged plotter of a 2006 coup that ousted Mr Thaksin.

So would she handle the power with and without her brother [Thaksin].

He also denied he was a proxy for Mr. Thaksin.

Frozen accounts belonging to Mr Thaksin contain the equivalent $2 billion.

On the same day, Wen also met with Thai Prime Minister Thaksin in Kuala Lumpur.

To mark the third anniversary of the coup, Mr Thaksin's red-shirted supporters plan to rally in Bangkok.

The timetable has quickened the pulse at Mr Thaksin's luxury villa in Dubai.

On the streets of Khlong Toey, the largest slum in Bangkok, there is nostalgia for Mr Thaksin's iron-fisted drugs policy.

Yet the same court ruled that the remaining 30 billion baht from the sale belonged to Mr Thaksin.

Mr Thaksin himself has kept a low profile, busying himself with Manchester City, the English football team he owns.

They will argue that Mr Thaksin has hoodwinked the world into believing that his red-shirt rabble is poor and oppressed.

"Thaksin is the prime minister in my heart, " says one rice farmer in the crowd.

Mr Thaksin's planned return from exile brings other worries.

Some protesters even confess to joining anti-Thaksin rallies in 2006 that preceded the coup.

Mr. Samak heads a coalition government led by the People's Power Party, which is closely linked to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The military and other opponents accuse Mr. Thaksin of corruption and abuse of power.

In using such class-war rhetoric, Mr Thaksin is playing with fire.

They also hope a new government could help Mr. Thaksin return to the country after a 2008 corruption conviction.

Hovering over this stand-off is the prospect of an election, which Mr Thaksin's Pua Thai party reckons it can win.

Mr Thaksin described his younger sister as his "clone" .

When popular opinion turned against Thaksin in 2006, Samak became a vocal defender of the embattled prime minister.

Mr Thaksin won their hearts by swelling their wallets.

Nor does Mr Thaksin himself seem minded to compromise.

Mr Thaksin lost no time in attacking the verdict and urging his red-shirt supporters to seek justice.

Ms. Yingluck has most recently served as president at property developer SC Asset Corp. , which is controlled by Mr. Thaksin's children.

Both Mr. Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party and the Opposition Democratic Party face possible dissolution because of election violations.

Then there is her elder brother and PT's de facto leader, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by a military coup in 2006.

The conflict began three years ago as peaceful rallies against corruption and abuse of power in the government of Thaksin Shinawatra.

But politicians aligned with Mr. Thaksin won elections in December 2007.

Both Mr. Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party and the opposition Democrat Party face possible dissolution because of election violations.

It also wants to overturn court-ordered bans on over 200 MPs, including Mr Thaksin.

Scrutiny of Ms Yingluck's 35-member cabinet, appointed on August 10th, has largely turned on Mr Thaksin's role in its selection.

Mr Thaksin, who came to power in 2001, crossed the army in two ways.

All in all, farmers did grandly under Mr Thaksin, declares Uthai Khunthabutra, a retired schoolteacher.

She is the youngest sister of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled in an army coup in 2006.

"Samak is seen as Thaksin's proxy, " he explained.

That idea strikes fear in Mr Thaksin's opponents.

The remaining $900m represents the value of the family's stake in Shin Corp before Mr Thaksin became prime minister in 2001.

Thaksin, who was accused of corruption, was deposed in 2006 after a military coup.

Mr Thaksin seems unruffled by such talk.

It is not clear with whom Mr Thaksin could do a deal.

Pro-Thaksin supporters have vowed to challenge the army if there is a coup.

Mr. Thaksin was ousted in a military coup in 2006.

There is also the issue of several pending corruption cases against Thaksin.

That is because Mr Thaksin was not satisfied and "has veto power" , argues a cabinet minister.

Thais disliked Mr Thaksin's use of a loophole to avoid paying tax on the $2 billion his family raised in the sale.

"If this project is completed, each elementary school child will receive a computer to learn on at school, " Thaksin said.

The king accepted the coup that overthrew Mr Thaksin in 2006.

Good, say PAD activists, who have soured on Mr Abhisit, accusing him of coddling former Thaksin henchmen such as Mr Newin.

Thaksin's backers want new elections, which they think they are well-placed to win.

To boost its standing, the government is stepping up social programs to boost the fortunes of lower-income Thais, much as Mr. Thaksin did.

Mr. Thaksin can't run in Thailand's July 3 ballot himself.

But the forces that Mr Thaksin let loose are real and more important than the man himself.

Suthep said that while the government is ready for talks, ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra must first declare who he supports.

Now it is the turn of Thaksin's backers, who are besieging the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva which took power 4 months ago.