February 27, 2008
BANGKOK - Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra plans to return to Thailand on Thursday, officials said.
Thaksin has lived in exile since the coup, staying mainly in Britain where he owns the Manchester City football club.
Two government officials said Thaksin would arrive in Bangkok at 9:40 am (0240 GMT) Thursday on a Thai Airways flight from Hong Kong, according to AFP.
"As far as I know, he will be on the Thai Airways flight arriving in Bangkok mid-morning tomorrow," said Supamas Isarabhakdi, a close aide to Thaksin who now works in the office of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.
A second senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed Thaksin would arrive Thursday in Bangkok and then go directly to the Supreme Court and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to hear corruption charges against him.
The chief of immigration at Bangkok's airport, Lieutenant Colonel Pakkapong Sai-ubon, said a special room was being prepared for Thaksin's arrival, adding that he would be handed over to police immediately on arrival to be taken to court.
Samak told Japanese media Wednesday that he had not spoken with Thaksin but that he welcomed the billionaire politician's homecoming.
"It's normal that he must defend himself in the court and my government will not interfere," Samak said according to an account of the briefing released by his spokesman.
Thaksin is expected to seek bail when he appears to hear the charges.
Thaksin and Pojaman each face up to 13 years in prison over two graft charges alleging she used her husband's political influence to buy prime Bangkok property from a government agency at about one third of its estimated value.
They also face separate charges at DSI, accusing them of fraudulent filings to the Securities and Exchange Commission over the 2003 listing of a property company.
He has also been slapped with a five-year ban from politics. Samak has already floated the idea of granting him an amnesty in two years' time, but Thaksin might try to press for a speedier solution.
Thaksin is also expected to visit the Grand Palace on his first day back in Bangkok to pay respects to the late HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana.
