By David Pilling and Tim Johnston
Financial Times
Like Banquo’s ghost, Thaksin Shinawatra still hovers at Thailand’s dinner tables, boardrooms and cabinet meetings. Few discussions about the social and political direction of the once-miracle economy are complete without a heated debate over the ousted prime minister’s influence – past, present and, quite conceivably, future.The charismatic Mr Thaksin burst on the scene in 2001 when his party won a landslide. He went on to become the first prime minister in modern Thai history to serve a full term. Wildly popular among the poor but mired in persistent allegations of corruption and tax evasion, his government was ejected from power in 2006 when the military mounted its 18th coup d’état since the country became a constitutional monarchy more than 70 years ago.
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