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 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. He 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 party. He promoted populist policies that appealed to the poor particularly in rural areas where most voters live. His massive popularity and unprecedented electoral support had rocked the long established political order in Thailand. His ouster sparked nearly two decades of deep political polarization.