Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived by private jet on Thursday to visit his northern hometown of Chiang Mai for the first time since fleeing the country after a military coup in 2006.
The influential billionaire has loomed large over Thai politics for two decades, during which his family-backed Pheu Thai party has won nearly every general election and is now in power.
In August he made a dramatic return from 15 years of self-imposed exile to dodge jail for alleged abuse of power.
After just six months in a prison hospital, Thaksin received parole in February despite not having spent a single night in jail for a sentence commuted by the king to one year from eight.
Thaksin, wearing a mask and a neck brace, was flanked by his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra, agriculture minister Thammanat Prompao and dozens of officials on his arrival for a three-day visit, but he did not speak to media.
Thai ex-PM Thaksin visits hometown for first time since 2006 ouster
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