Thaksin may return to Thailand to fight cash freeze

BANGKOK: Thailand's deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra could try to return to the kingdom to fight to regain some 1.5 billion dollars in frozen assets, his lawyer said on Tuesday.   

The Assets Examination Committee, a powerful anti-corruption team set up by the military, ordered Thai banks to freeze accounts believed to hold at least $1.52 billion belonging to Thaksin's family.   

The former premier has lived in self-imposed exile since the military toppled his government in September 2006, but could return to battle for his money, his lawyer Noppadon Pattama said.   

"The AEC decision to freeze his assets may affect his decision to return to Thailand, maybe sooner rather than later," Noppadon said.   

The assets freeze came less than two weeks after a military-appointed court disbanded Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party and barred the billionaire and 110 other party executives from running for political office for five years.   

But Thaksin would consider taking an informal political role, providing financial support to candidates, giving speeches, and offering advice, the lawyer said.   

Noppadon again threatened to file lawsuits for Thaksin to regain his assets and to take legal action against individual members of the committee.   

The committee gave Thaksin 60 days to dispute the ruling. A court will later decide whether the state should confiscate the money to settle corruption claims against the deposed leader.