Tokyo (AP) — Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has called for a return to democracy in Thailand and predicts a political party led by his supporters could easily win an election.
Thaksin attended a reception in Tokyo on Thursday with his sister Yingluck. He briefly answered questions from a reporter in a video posted on the website of Japan’s Asahi newspaper.
He said he is not involved with the Pheu Thai Party, but added: “I believe that we have many good people in (the) Pheu Thai Party. They should be able to lead the party to another landslide victory.”
Thaksin was prime minister from 2001-2006, before going into a self-imposed exile in 2008 to avoid serving a prison term on a conflict of interest charge. His political machine made a comeback in a 2011 election under Pheu Thai, a reconstitution of his original Thai Rak Thai Party, and his sister Yingluck became prime minister.
Gen. Prayuth’s current military-led government has pursued changes in the constitution and other measures to try to prevent another comeback by Thaksin’s political machine.
