Thaksin Shinawatra, the founder of the Pheu Thai party, received a warm welcome today as he returned to the party’s HQ for the first time in nearly two decades.
Thaksin had lived in self-exile for about 17 years, after being ousted in a coup in 2006.
He returned to Thailand last year and was convicted on three corruption charges. He has now been released on parole.
It is reported that many Pheu Thai MPs and party members wanted to see Thaksin at his Chan Song La residence, which is not suitably equipped to accommodate the crowd. Therefore, he went to the Pheu Thai headquarters instead.
Upon his arrival, he was welcomed with a round of applause and red roses.
His daughter, Paetongtarn, the current leader of Pheu Thai, later told reporters that she guided her father to the office of the party leader, which has been moved to Thaksin’s former work room.
She said the party’s building was named OAI, after the nicknames of his three children: Oak, Aim, and Ing.
She quoted Thaksin as saying that many things have changed a lot and he told the new MPs that he knew their parents, who were also party MPs.
She insisted that Thaksin said nothing about work, adding that he looked like an old man returning home. “He greeted everyone and seemed happy,” she said
She mentioned that, while many people wanted to meet him, Thaksin may not help solicit votes for the party’s MPs, but wished to visit his MP friends and people in other provinces who wanted to meet him.
Thaksin wants to visit Chiang Mai again, but we will have to discuss this with the family first, Paetongtarn said.
Despite previously claiming that her father was seriously ill, which led to his early release, Thaksin has appeared recently, including today, without any signs of illness.
