More than 10,000 police have been deployed to provide extra security at the airport as former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is scheduled to arrive here at 9:40 am (0240 GMT) Thursday on a Thai Airways flight from Hong Kong, the first time since the military toppled his government in a bloodless coup 17 month ago.
On Wednesday evening, local and foreign photographers and TV media have set up cameras at the airport's VIP concourse, where Thaksin is due to pass after the TG 603 flight he is boarding from Hong Kong lands at Bangkok Thursday as scheduled, to catch the first glimpse of the former prime minister after more than one year's absence from Thailand.
In an interview in Hong Kong with government-controlled TPBS television on Wednesday, Thaksin, who has lived in self-imposed exile since the coup, said he would quit politics after his return, adding he would prove his innocence of a series of corruption allegations brought up by junta-appointed independent investigative bodies.
Thaksin said he would report to the Supreme Court, which earlier issued arrest warrants for him and his wife Pojaman for failing to appear at a hearing on a land purchase deal case against the couple, and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), where he also faced a corruption charge, immediately after he arrives in Bangkok.
"Not any more," was his response to the question whether he would touch politics after his return.
The ex-prime minister appeared calm and a little weary, when seen talking with former members of the now defunct Thai Rak Thai (TRT)party, which Thaksin founded and landed two landslide election victories in 2001 and 2005.
However, the emotion has been intense in his home country after news spread about Thaksin's imminent return since Monday.
In TPBS's reports, Thaksin's supporters in the north and northeastern provinces, especially his birth place Chiang Mai, where the majority rural poor formed the strongest voter base for Thaksin's power clique, were seen praying to Buddhist monks for Thaksin's safe return.
A group of supporters, who wore T-shirts bearing Thaksin's name, have travelled to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport to welcome the former prime minister at the first time, while some are to arrive later, though both Thaksin's aides and the Thai government have hinted their favor for a low-key return.
Interior Minister Chalerm Yubambrung has made it clear that he would himself welcome Thaksin at the airport.
He told reporters on Wednesday that he would be there as a way to show his keeping promise to voters during the campaign for the Dec. 23 general election that "if they chose the People's Power Party (PPP) we would bring Thaksin back with full honors."
The PPP, seen in Thailand as the new banner for the dissolved TRT, managed to win nearly half of the 480 seats in the House of Representatives in the December election, the first since the coup, and formed a coalition government led by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, also PPP leader.
On the other side, anti-Thaksin camp, led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), also played down their stance by pledging that they will not protest against Thaksin's comeback Thursday.
The PAD, which groups anti-Thaksin activists and has launched mass street protests to call on the step-down of Thaksin, ceased operation after the military staged a coup on Sept. 19, 2006 to oust Thaksin, declaring they have successfully completed their mission to expel Thaksin.
But on Monday, the PAD announced its reactivation and vowed to renew its fight against any unscrupulous behavior by the new government led by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, which they claimed as a proxy for the ousted Thaksin administration.
On Wednesday, PAD spokesman Suriyasai Katasila said the anti-Thaksin activists will not gather anywhere or make any move to protest the deposed prime minister's return home to face charges of corruption and abuse of power in court.
However, Suriyasai called on the authorities -- including the police, the Office of Attorney General and the DSI not to abuse their powers to undue favor the former prime minister who was legally obliged to appear before the Supreme Court if he returns home.
Thaksin's wife Pojaman had earlier returned to Bangkok and reported to the Supreme Court. She was granted bail by the Court. Her husband is expected to be treated in the same way.
A latest public opinion poll, showed that more than half the people think the ex-premier in good way.
The survey by the polling agency of Assumption University, known as the Abac Poll, found some 64.7 percent of young people interviewed said they believe Thaksin did more good than bad things as prime minister. And 66.5 percent of adult respondents agree on that.
The survey assessed opinions of 3,553 people aged 12 or above in 27 of the 76 provinces during the week until Tuesday.
About 55 percent of the respondents said they strongly admire the ex-prime minister.
Some 45.8 percent of the respondents said they miss Thaksin a lot while 41.6 percent said they do not miss him.
About 34 percent of the youths and 39.5 percent of the adults want Thaksin to return home as soon as possible, believing that he could help improve the economy. They even want Thaksin to be prime minister again.
Source: Xinhua
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