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Politics
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2006-11-25 23:11:22-05
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Thaksin may drop out of politics
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Bangkok, Nov 26: Thaksin Shinawatra's lawyer has confirmed that the ousted Prime Minister will stay out of his homeland until the political situation has returned to normal. Thaksin, Thailand's prime minister between 2001 to 2006, was toppled by a military coup on September 19 on charges of rampant corruption and undermining the country's democratic institutions and the monarchy. He was in New York attending the United Nations General Assembly at the time of the bloodless putsch, and thereafter travelled to London, where his family owns an apartment building. More recently, Thaksin - a billionaire who made his fortune in Thailand's fledgling telecommunications' sector - has been sighted shopping in Hong Kong and vacationing in Bali. According to Thaksin's legal adviser Noppadol Pattama, Thaksin is currently residing abroad, avoiding politics and spending his time reading books and playing golf. Noppadol revealed in a press conference shown on Thai TV Sunday that Thaksin plans to travel around many Asian countries until theend of the year, and for the time being has no plan to return to Thailand, though the martial law imposed by Thailand's military Council for National Security (CNS) right after the coup is likely to be lifted soon. "I don't think former PM Thaksin will return to Thailand as soon as martial law is lifted. He may wait to talk to senior CNS officials before making a decision," Xinhua quoted Noppadol as saying.
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