Shinawatra was ousted by a military coup in 2006 and has spent more than 15 years in exile to avoid legal charges
He was greeted by crowds of supporters watching from behind a fences at the airport and cheering “We love Thaksin”. After walking out, the former PM placed a flower wreath and prostrated before a portrait of Thailand’s king and queen at the gate of the terminal.
Mr Thaksin has frequently expressed his desire to return and wrote on social media on Monday that he sought permission “to return to live on the land of Thailand and breathe the same air” as his Thai brothers and sisters. He has previously set dates for his return only to postpone, but on Tuesday, his sister Yingluck Shinawatra, who was ousted in 2014 and is also in exile, posted pictures online of her brother on a plane, writing: “the day I’ve been waiting for has arrived.”
Mr Thaksin, a former policeman who became a telecoms tycoon before entering politics, first came to power in 2001 and went on to build a loyal voter base in rural areas of the north and northeast. His policies, such as a universal healthcare scheme, and a village fund programme to stimulate economic activity in rural areas, made a concrete difference to people’s lives, and for years he was unbeatable at the ballot box.