Mr Thaksin greets supporters after arriving in Bangkok |
By Jonathan Head, BANGKOK
Thailand
Thailand's former Prime Minister,
Thaksin Shinawatra has been jailed upon returning to the country after 15 years
in exile.
But many believe he has struck
a deal that will keep him from serving more than a short period in prison.
He arrived on Tuesday morning
in a private jet, ahead of a vote for the next Thai leader - the frontrunner is
from his Pheu Thai party.
He was then sentenced to eight
years, on former criminal convictions he says were politically motivated.
Mr Thaksin, Thailand's most
successful elected leader, has long been feared by conservative royalists, who
have backed military coups and contentious court cases to weaken him.
But now the brash, politically
ambitious telecoms tycoon is back, years after he was deposed by a military
coup. He landed in Bangkok's main airport to cheers from hundreds of loyal
"red shirt" supporters who had gathered overnight to see him.
Samniang Kongpolparn, 63, was
among those who had travelled from Surin province in the northeast, the
stronghold of Mr Thaksin's party in past decades.
"He's the best prime
minister we've ever had. Even though I won't get to see him today, I still
wanted to come to show him support," she said. "I'm ok with them
reconciling with the pro-military government, or else we're stuck with the
senators. We don't want that."
Flanked by his two daughters
and son, Mr Thaksin emerged briefly from the airport terminal and paid his
respects to a portrait of the king and queen. The 74-year-old was immediately
taken to the Supreme Court where he was sentenced to eight years on three
former convictions, and then to Bangkok Remand Prison.
Prison authorities there say
he will be kept in a wing with specific medical equipment, given his advanced
age. He will also immediately undergo a 10-day quarantine - the first five days
of which he will be confined to his room, authorities said.
It has been speculated that
Thaksin will seek a royal pardon, and prison authorities on Tuesday said he
would be able to submit a petition from jail immediately. The process can take
one to two months.
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