How Thailand's Thaksin Shinawatra went from prime minister to fugitive abroad and back home again
ABC News
Thaksin Shinawatra, the billionaire former prime minister of Thailand, made a dramatic return home after nearly a decade of self-imposed exile
BANGKOK -- BANGKOK (AP) — Thaksin Shinawatra, the billionaire former prime minister of Thailand, made a dramatic return home after nearly a decade of self-imposed exile.
He was detained in a hospital for six months and on Sunday, Thaksin was released on parole for corruption-related offenses.
Here's a look at what may lie ahead for one of Southeast Asian most controversial politicians:
Thaksin Shinawatra, 74 , was twice elected prime minister, only to see his second term cut short by a military coup in 2006.
A former police official, Thaksin made fortune in telecommunications and used it to found his own Thai Rak Thai party in 1998. He promoted populist policies that appealed to lower income citizens, particularly in rural areas where most voters live. He was elected in a landslide victory in 2001, and reelected in 2005.
