Ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived back in Thailand after a seveteen month exile after he was ousted by a military coup in September 2007.
Thaksin Shinawatra was welcomed by thousands of cheering supporters at his arrival today at when he landed Thursday morning at Suvarnabhumi international Airport in Bangkok. Thaksin knelt and touched the soil of Thailand in a gesture of deep respect.
The huge welcoming crowd of supporters, mostly poor farmers from Isaan, carried signs reading, "Our father has come home" and, "The children are happy."
Thaksin's return to Thailand is the result of the installation of a new civilian elected Thai government, packed with Thaksin allies.
Although Thaksin, a telecommunications billionaire, swore on Thursday to stay out of Thai politics, political analysts said his return to Thailand will trigger huge political tensions.
Already Thaksin has been active behind the scenes in the formation of the new government, and on Thursday a government minister said Mr. Thaksin would serve as an economic adviser to the new Thai government.
One of his opponents, former Bangkok governor Chamlong Srimuang, said that Thaksin's promise to stay out of Thai politics was a big political joke. With his retun to the country, Thaksin will plunge Thailand into a greater crisis than ever before, Chamlong Srimuang added.
After Thaksin's welcome at Bangkok airport, he was escorted to the Supreme Thai Court, where he and his wife, Pojaman, face corruption charges of corruption for buying real-estate from a government agency, while he was Prime Minister. Within minutes, Thaksin and his wife, were released after paying 8 million Baht (US$267,000), and a date for the trial was set for 12 March 2008.
After the Military Coup in Bangkok in September 2006, the military junta had the Thai court ban Thaksin's "Thai Rak Thai" party and also banned Thaksin and his party executives from Thai politics for the period of 5-years.
But the new Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, who heads the newly elected Thai government, is already campaigning to reverse the court-ban and clear Thaksin's name.
