Thaksin picks up the tab

Thaksin Shinawatra chatted with his supporters over lunch in Bangkok yesterday. The fugitive former PM treated 200 of his fans, most of them wearing red, to a meal at T Phochana Dong Moon Lek Noodle restaurant on Rama VII road, where he spoke to them via a video link.

Tweets directed Twitter users who couldn't make it to the live broadcast at www.ustream.tv/channel/thaksinlive.

Supporters also talked to their host on mobile phones provided by red-shirt staff.

Thaksin organised the lunch date to promote his Internet radio station, scheduled for launch on September 1, saying he would use it to broadcast hope to Thais and talk about his experience and recipe for success.

Life saving's frozen

"If the government is not biased, it might see [my words] as food for thought," he said.

He also explained that his travel for business meant he would be phoning in his talks for the station's programmes. His recent trips to Africa, he said, were forced on him because his life's savings had been frozen. He complained that allegations of corruption against him suggested he had taken the government's money, while in fact the government had taken his money, adding that he was waiting for justice to take its course.

"Some of us were born to struggle. Sometimes karma means you have to fight. But [I] believe everything will be brighter soon. After this period I foresee paths to happiness," he said through the video link.

"Time to enjoy lunch," he continued. "If I keep talking, things will turn sad. Please enjoy your noodles and satay pork. Eat up! Jae Ta [shop owner], please fill everyone's plates!"

Twitter hacked

A few hours after the virtual get-together with his supporters, Thaksin announced a temporary halt to his posts on Twitter, claiming his account had been hacked.

"Somebody tried to get into my login," he said, responding to a comment posted under his user name, @thaksinlive, that read "@sugree has reached a stage of madness". The comment was later deleted. Twitter guru Sugree Phatanapherom denies all knowledge of the posting.