Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra said he wants to return to Thailand after his youngest daughter, a politician who is a frontrunner to lead the Southeast Asian nation, gave birth just two weeks before national elections.
(Bloomberg) — Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra said he wants to return to Thailand after his youngest daughter, a politician who is a frontrunner to lead the Southeast Asian nation, gave birth just two weeks before national elections.
“This morning I am so glad I got my seventh grandchild,” Thaksin said in a tweet on Monday. “I want to ask for permission to return to raise my grandchildren as I will turn 74 this July. See you soon.”
Paetongtarn Shinawatra gave birth to a baby boy during an election campaign that has seen her party amass a solid lead against ex-generals who are seeking to extend nearly a decade of army-backed rule. Although polls are set for May 14, it may be weeks or months before a prime minister is elected as the military-appointed Senate will vote along with the lower house of parliament to decide who gets the top job.
The Shinawatra scion was nominated as one of three prime minister candidates by the main opposition party Pheu Thai, which is filled with politicians who have worked with Thaksin since his first election win in 2001. Opinion surveys consistently show Paetongtarn is among the top three choices for the premiership.
Thaksin, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup and has lived abroad to avoid a jail term for a corruption conviction, is an enduring and polarizing figure. He told Kyodo News in March that he is ready to serve his prison sentence in Thailand provided he is allowed to spend the rest of his life with his family regardless of the election result.
The former premier’s party and allies have won the most seats in every national vote dating back to 2001 due to his sway over the rural heartlands, which he won over with cheap healthcare and guaranteed crop prices. Thaksin has backed family members like his sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, who became prime minister but whose government was also ousted by the generals in 2014.
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