(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-02-28 09:58

Thailand's Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived Thursday morning at the Bangkok's international airport, wrapping up 17 months of self-exile abroad since a bloodless military coup ousted his administration.

Ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra (C) waits at a check-in desk at Hong Kong's airport February 28, 2008. Thailand, trying to recover from two years of political turmoil, is bracing for the return on Thursday of Thaksin from 18 months in exile with his battle against an array of opponents far from over. [Agencies]

The Thai International Airways flight boarding Thaksin -- TG 603 from Hong Kong, China landed at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport at around 9:45 a.m. (0245GMT), with thousands of supporters waiting and hailing excitedly but peacefully outside the airport's VIP rooms area to welcome the ex-premier amid tightened security.

Thaksin had said he came back to fight a series of corruption and abuse of power allegations against him and his family in court, and would quit politics forever.

He is expected to drive directly to report himself to the Supreme Court and Department of Special Investigation, where he faces charges involving a controversial land deal and of alleged consealing assets in a company.

The ex-premier was accompanied by some 70 supporters on board, including former officials of Thaksin-founded, now defunct Thai Rak Thai Party, the former ruling party which was dissolved after the September 19 coup in 2006 toppled Thaksin's government.

Since the coup, which took place when Thaksin was attending the United Nations Assembly in New York, the telecom-tycoon-turned- politician has been traveling around the world in a self-exile living, mostly residing in Britain, where he owned a house in London and bought the Manchester City Football Club.

Thaksin was greeted by hundreds of supporters, who were hailing "Thaksin, Thaksin" and raising banners reading "We Love Thaksin" and "Welcome Home". An army of reporters had been waiting outside the VIP lounge of the airport, some of them stationed since Wednesday night, to catch the first glimpse of the ex-premier who touched this soil after more than one-year's absence.

Some of the supporters had travelled to Bangkok from Thailand's northern and northeastern provinces, where the majority poor has constituted the strongest voter base for Thaksin and the former TRT and helped it win two landslide election victories on 2001 and 2005.

Also receiving Thaksin at the VIP room were his wife and two daughters, Interior Minister Chalerm Yubambrung