Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who has spent more than 15 years in self-imposed exile to avoid legal charges, will return to the country next month, his daughter has said, amid tense political deadlock.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who recently ran as a prime ministerial candidate for Pheu Thai, the party backed by her father, said Thaksin would return on 10 August.
“I don’t quite believe what I am typing, Dad is returning on 10 Aug at Don Muang airport,” she wrote, referring to an airport in the capital, Bangkok. “My heart and everyone in our family feel overwhelmed, happy and worried, but we respect Dad’s decision.”
Thaksin was ousted by a military coup in 2006 and has lived in exile to avoid legal charges that he says are politically motivated, including a conviction in absentia for corruption. His sister Yingluck Shinawatra, who was ousted in 2014, is also in exile.
Thaksin remains an influential figure in Thai politics and has said repeatedly he wants to return home and is willing to go to jail if it means he can do so. He has set previous dates for his arrival that were missed, leading to some scepticism.
Thailand is in political crisis after the leader of the reformist party that received more than 14m votes and won the most seats in May’s general election was blocked from taking power.
Pita Limjaroenrat’s Move Forward party shocked many observers by outperforming even the traditional heavyweight opposition party Pheu Thai, having promised reforms to break up the big monopolies that dominate the economy, push the military out of politics and amend the lese-majesty law. The party swept almost all of Bangkok and poached seats from Pheu Thai, including in Thaksin’s home town, Chiang Mai.
After Pita was blocked from becoming prime minister by a military-appointed senate, he said he would instead back a candidate put forward by Pheu Thai, which is part of a coalition formed of opposition parties after the election results.
Pheu Thai is trying to build enough support for its candidate and has been meeting figures from the military side, including parties associated with generals who once ousted Thakin’s sister Yingluck. Pheu Thai has said its meetings with other parties are not intended to push Move Forward into the opposition and that the negotiations follow on from discussions held within their coalition.
Thaksin first took office in 2001 and developed a formidable reputation for winning elections, building a loyal following among rural voters in the north and the north-east. He was the first politician to recognise the electoral power of such voters and offered policies such as universal health coverage.
His opponents considered him a corrupt businessman who exploited the country for his own gain and whose popularity was a threat to the monarchy. A struggle between the two sides left the country bitterly divided, resulting in long-running protest movements and leading to a deadly crackdown on Thaksin’s supporters by the military.
The announcement by his daughter coincided with Thaksin’s 74th birthday. In the morning, he video-called supporters who were marking the occasion at a temple in Ubon Ratchathani, telling them: “This will be the last time I celebrate my birthday abroad. I’m coming back on the 10th and I will visit you all.”
In Bangkok, a lorry bearing the words “Thaksin Shinawatra, welcome back to the motherland” was driven through the streets with two supporters on top waving flags at passing motorbikes.
