Thaksin Shinawatra returns to Thailand: 17 month exile is over
The latest breaking news in Thailand, Southeast Asia, and even the globe for that matter is regarding Thailand’s longest reigning elected leader, Thaksin Shinawatra. The disposed prime minister turned English football team owner-manager has finally stepped onto Thai soil after being away in a self imposed exile in the USA, England, and China since September 2006, when a military junta executed a bloodless coup which saw the telecommunications tycoon turned politician’s status as head of Thailand over, deeply splitting the nation.
The existing government as well as the previous interim Thai government had issued warrants for both Thaksin and his wife, Potjama on allegations of land purchase corruption during the country’s most powerful couple’s run at the top. Earlier this year, Potjama had safely returned to attend court hearings, and assured the nation that her hated and loved husband would soon follow.
Roughly 9.30 of this morning, his flight from Hong Kong landed at Suvarnabhumi international airport on the eastern flank of Bangkok. Supporters gathered with their signs and happy faces full of anticipation to see and greet the Manchester City Football club investor, who took about 20 minutes to clear through immigration, before waving to his excited and loyal supporters outside.
It was a glorious scene streamed on millions of televisions. Dozens of black suited bodyguards and associates accompanied Thailand’s most famous face of recent years walking through the enthusiastic crowd to get to his heavily guarded transport, heading for the Peninsula hotel along the Chao Phraya, where the ex PM has rented out an entire floor for he and his family as they fight through the system.
Even his enemies must have felt the excitement and happiness to see what no one thought would ever happen. He’s back.
Many in Thailand were doubtful that the ex PM would ever return as the date had been pushed back often in concern of personal security, safety, and political instability. As of elections last December, most of Thaksin’s old political party of Thai Rak Thai had reestablished themselves under the People’s Power Party, which now holds majority influence and makeup in the Thai government led by controversial leader, Samak Sundaravej.
Thaksin’s prime agenda is to clear himself and name and court over the Ratchada Pisek land purchase corruption allegations, though there’s no saying how many more allegations and accusations are bound to come up. The revered icon has been accused of everything from minor and major corruption to human rights abuses in a war on drugs campaign as well as conflicts in the deep south of Thailand.
The powerful and clever man has made many enemies who will stop at nothing to destroy and be rid of him and all his sway over millions of followers, particularly in the Northeast region, or Isarn.
Thaksin claims to have no interests or intents to return to or enter Thai politics, though many take his statements with a grain of salt. Those same also believe that he is behind the current People Power Party, both financially and physically. There’s no question that he is still an influential and popular political icon that can either mean great or bad things for this nation, or most likely, both.
This is the true test for Thailand’s democratic and judicial system. Will the Chiang Mai native be able to use law to defend himself against a political monster, or will the ex PM fall short of a glorious restoration into his home nation–one which he helped jumpstart into the 21st century?
Or shall Thailand follow in the footsteps of Pakistan and let political thugs with their bombs and firearms do all the historical talking. One can only hope and pray that democracy, Law, and Human strife prevail, no matter which way the newspaper headlines interpret a truly historical period over the next month.
For more details see this Nation Newspaper report
as well as this report regarding Thaksin’s arrival and hotel check in
And, also see the Bangkok Post report of his return.
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March 11th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Here is some reactions of some Thai people to Thaksin’s return
March 11th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Here is another report about Thaksin’s returned and the politics and controversy surrounding it all.