Following a military coup in September 2006, Thaksin Shinawatra 's party, Thai Rak Thai, was dissolved, and he and 111 executives of Thai Rak Thai were banned from politics for five years, CNN details.

“The generals who overthrew Mr Thaksin claimed as justification for their coup that his administration had been the most corrupt in Thai history”, writes the BBC. The same article notes that the generals brought two charges against him: “that he had used his influence to help his wife buy government land at a favourable price, and that he concealed a continued personal stake in the huge family telecoms business, Shin Corporation.” According to Bloomberg , the Asset Examination Committee froze more than 60 billion baht (US $1.9 billion) of assets belonging to Thaksin and his family.

In an interview on his flight to Thailand, Thaksin told the BBC: “I’ve done nothing wrong, why worry? … I have to restore my reputation which has been tarnished by the coup.” The Economist reports that: “Mr Thaksin flew in to a rapturous reception at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport, ending his exile. After touching the tarmac with his forehead, he was taken to the Supreme Court and granted bail on corruption charges.” The Associated Press (AP) explains that Thaksin remains highly popular among the urban poor and working class and the country’s rural majority, because they “benefited from virtually free health care, a three-year debt suspension program for farmers and low-interest loans for poor villages.”

As for his future plans, “Thaksin has insisted he has no interest in returning to politics and has said he plans to devote himself to charity work, sports and his family,” writes AP. However, the Financial Times predicts that: “Whatever his formal position - or lack thereof - Mr Thaksin, who was a billionaire telecommunications tycoon before entering politics, will certainly exert strong influence on the administration as it seeks to boost an economy that has lagged behind its regional rivals for two years as a result of political turmoil and policy drift.”

According to the Bangkok Post: “The corruption case will be taken up by the court again on April 29 and 30.”