Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has called for dialogue between old political rivals and also made a jibe at the country's backwardness that was immediately met with retaliatory remarks from the government.
In a Facebook message marking the 12th anniversary today of the military coup that toppled his government, Thaksin said it would be in the national interest if old foes entered into a dialogue with each other
The exiled former leader looked back over the turbulent period since then, which also saw his sister toppled, and asked whether Thailand was really better off regarding education, health care and the economy. He accused a small fraction of benefiting from the power shifts.
"There are some people who got rich from these two coups but there are several areas which have gotten worse and our beloved Thailand has been been viewed unfavourably by people around the world," the 69-year-old said on the eve of the anniversary of his ousting.
"Hasn't our country suffered enough?"
In the past 12 years, there had been two coups, toppling two prime ministers who were siblings and the most popular prime ministers in Thai political history, Thaksin wrote.
Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Tuesday that Thaksin's latest message came as no surprise, given that the election is drawing near, and insisted the people, not Thaksin, will judge if the country is backward or not.
"People can see for themselves [what state the country is in].
"If a government is corrupt and is allowed to govern, that will lead the country into dire straits," he said apparently referring to Yingluck Shinawatra's rice-pledging scheme.
He said the court's ruling in her case was based on graft charges and not politically motivated, especially since many people are on trial for conspiring in the corruption.
Thaksin fled the country in 2008 before the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions sentenced him to two years for a conflict of interest, while prime minister, in the 2003 purchase of state-owned land by his then-wife Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra.
- Earlier report: Thaksin says rivals should talk, not squabble