How Thailand’s Thaksin Shinawatra went from prime minister to fugitive abroad and back home again

BANGKOK (AP) — Thaksin Shinawatra, the billionaire former prime minister of Thailand, made a dramatic return home after more than a decade of self-imposed exile.

He was detained in a hospital for six months and on Sunday, Thaksin was released on parole for corruption-related offenses.

Here’s a look at what may lie ahead for one of Southeast Asian most controversial politicians:

HOW DID THAKSIN BECOME POPULAR?

Thaksin Shinawatra, 74, was twice elected prime minister, only to see his second term cut short by a military coup in 2006.

A former police official, Thaksin made fortune in telecommunications and used it to found his own Thai Rak Thai party in 1998. He promoted populist policies that appealed to lower income citizens, particularly in rural areas where most voters live. He was elected in a landslide victory in 2001, and reelected in 2005.

His supporters credited him for spreading the benefits of growth in a country with big gaps between rich and poor. He became a symbol of hope for policies benefiting the rural population that was mostly neglected by previous governments. The measures pushed by Thaksin included the universal health care — a major accomplishment — village development funds and support of rural industries and development.

WHO ARE HIS ENEMIES?

His massive popularity and unprecedented electoral support had rocked the long established political order in Thailand. It earned Thaksin powerful enemies among the country’s conservative forces, including the army. They saw him as a threat to the monarchy, revered as the bedrock of Thai national identity.

But there were other red flags: he was intolerant of criticism, especially in mass media, and failed to distance his wide-ranging business interests from