Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister of Thailand, plans to return home on August 10 after 15 years of self-imposed exile, according to his daughter.
The announcement on Wednesday came in the midst of Thailand’s protracted political crisis following a general election in May.
74-year-old Thaksin was deposed in a military coup in 2006 after being elected twice as prime minister. He left Thailand in 2008 to avoid being imprisoned for corruption, which he claimed was motivated by politics. He has been residing in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
“I can’t believe what I am about to write. Dad is coming back on Aug 10 at Don Meung airport,” his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra wrote on her official Facebook page on Wednesday.
“My heart and everyone in our family feel overwhelmed, happy and worried, but we respect Dad’s decision,” she said.
Despite placing second in the May 14 poll, Thaksin and the Pheu Thai party, which is supported by his wealthy family, continue remain popular among Thailand’s working-class and rural populations.
Upon his anticipated return, Thaksin would be subject to the legal system, according to Thailand’s deputy national police chief Surachate Hakparn.
He was found guilty in several cases by the nation’s supreme court, and he now faces up to 10 years in prison for what he claims were politically motivated charges.
“The police will conduct their duties normally when the plane lands. He will have to go to court and listen to what they decide,” Surachate told the media.
Thaksin had previously indicated he would return to Thailand in July.
Source-Aljazeera
