Thailand political soap opera in swing as exiled ex-PM

After years of self-imposed exile, the former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has returned to Thailand. His return coincides with the day on which a party connected to him intends to begin building a new government. The contentious politician Thaksin arrived at Don Mueang International Airport after taking off in his private jet from Singapore. Supporters greeted him, and he then bowed in front of a picture of Thailand's monarch and queen while holding a floral wreath. Before the military overthrew him in a coup in 2006, Thaksin, a millionaire, had served as prime minister in 2001 and 2005. He has been found guilty in absentia in a number of criminal cases, and if he doesn't get a royal pardon, he might go to jail.

Despite coming in second place in the most recent elections, the Thaksin-affiliated Pheu Thai party took charge of the process of forming a new government after conservative senators appointed by a previous military regime repeatedly rejected the surprise winner, the liberal Move Forward Party. A coalition of 11 parties, including two parties aligned with Pheu Thai's erstwhile military rivals, will be formed. For the coalition to win a majority in the total parliamentary vote, it needs the backing of the non-elected Senate, which holds 314 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives.

The relationship between Thaksin's arrival and the party's ambition for power has come under scrutiny in the wake of his return. Others regard Thaksin's homecoming as a calculated manoeuvre to advance his own agenda, while some think it was planned before the date of the parliamentary vote was decided. Thaksin has continued to be involved in Thai politics, frequently making video calls to rallies of the parties he supports.

The establishment of a new government and Thaksin's return illustrate Thailand's severe political differences. Years of turmoil and division between Thaksin's primarily poor, rural supporters and the royalists, military, and metropolitan backers who reject him have followed the military coup that toppled him. The results of the next election for prime minister will determine Thailand's future course and the extent of Thaksin's political power.