Thaksin’s imminent return stirs hope, anxiety in Thailand — BenarNews

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s planned homecoming after 15 years of self-imposed exile is generating a mix of excitement and concern in the Southeast Asian country stuck in a political deadlock for the past two months.

Thaksin’s daughter, Paetongtarn, announced last week that her father was expected to return to Thailand on Aug. 10, as the Pheu Thai Party, the main political vehicle of the Shinawatra dynasty, seeks to form a new government after a general election in May.

The announcement has provoked frenzied discussion about the fate awaiting the billionaire businessman, who fled Thailand in 2008 to escape a prison term for several different charges, including corruption and tax evasion. Many Thais are also speculating about what Thaksin’s arrival could mean for the country’s new government.

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