CHIANG MAI: Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra urged his critics on Saturday to focus on more important issues than scrutinising his every public action covered by the media.
Thaksin, who made the trip back to his home province and Pheu Thai stronghold shortly after being paroled and released from Police General Hospital, addressed the numerous criticisms levied against him by critics since his return to Thailand last Aug 22.
After spending about six months receiving treatment at the hospital, he was granted early parole. His detractors have also pounced on him for making the trip north.
“The drama is unreal. That’s it,” he said, referring to the seemingly endless barrage of headline stories with him as the subject.
Even while in Chiang Mai, he said his critics continued questioning why he appeared healthy and not as seriously ill as he had claimed when granted parole.
Thaksin claimed his greatly improved mental state has overridden his physical weakness and, because he was so happy to have a chance to return home and be reunited with his family after 17 years of being away living in self-imposed exile, his health has now improved significantly.
However, he said he still has problems with his bones and some nerves in his neck and back, and that he continues to suffer from Long Covid, adding he had previously been treated in an intensive care unit for up to nine days when he had Covid-19.
“Now I’m back — and if anyone doesn’t like me, they can live their life and I will live my life [without disturbing each other],” said the ex-premier.
He said he does not have any travel plans other than revisiting Chiang Mai next month during Songkran, the Thai New Year festival, which he is contemplating.
“No, I’m not thinking about travelling anywhere else. All I’m thinking and concerned about are the several problems facing the country.
“I was watching the news on TV while staying at the Police General Hospital for six months and I thought about the country’s problems a lot,” he said.
Those include the need to stimulate the economy, which Thaksin said Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is capable of doing.
As for the red-shirt supporters in other parts of the country who said they were yearning to have a chance to meet him, Thaksin said he still faces restrictions while on probation and must strictly conform with the terms of his parole.