Ex-Thai PM Thaksin plans early return from exile

BANGKOK – Exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has celebrated Thailand’s most important holiday in neighboring Cambodia, telling thousands of fervent supporters who crossed the border to meet him that he intends to return home soon on his own terms.

Thaksin led a song-filled rally on Saturday marking Songkran, the Thai New Year. Between appearances on stage, he worked the crowd in a manner recalling his past political campaigning.

Thaksin was ousted by a 2006 military coup after being accused of abuse of power and disrespect for the monarchy. He has been living overseas since 2008 to avoid a two-year jail term on a corruption conviction.

Thaksin has said in the last few days that he will return “in the next three to four months” when “everything is stable.”