Thaksin Shinawatra's birthday on Wednesday was a low-key event for his loyalists in Thailand, but there was a party of sorts in Phitsanulok.
About 60 red-shirt supporters celebrated the birthday of the former prime minister at Wat Thammachak in Muang district in Phitsanulok by offering alms to the monk and hosting a merit-making ceremony for him.
Abbot Phra Sophon Prariyattidhamma led a prayer, sprinked holy water on Thaksin's followers and cut a birthday cake emblazoned with the message "69. Happy birthday Thaksin".
The birthday cake for Thaksin Shinawatra. (Photo by Chinnawat Singha)
The merit-making ceremony at the temple was also for the benefit of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, the monk said.
The temple, long popular with red-shirt supporters, staged a birthday event for Thaksin every year until the coup in 2014. The ceremony on Wednesday was the first in three years.
Thaksin turned 69 on Wednesday, while his embattled sister is waiting for the ruling of the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions on the rice-pledging case. The judgment day has been set for Aug 25 and she will face a jail term up to 10 years if she is found guilty.
Ms Yingluck wrote a short message on her Facebook account offering her brother happiness and good health.
Elsewhere, activities marking his birthday were kept low-profile.
Even the fugitive former prime minister kept himself quiet, as he promised in March when he wrote on his Facebook account that he would make no comments and offer no opinions.
In his last message, posted on March 31, Thaksin said he was not afraid of the military government - but had decided to stay tight-lipped because his comments could be seen as attempts to derail its efforts to solve Thailand's problems.