The Times : Thaksin and the Times' Interview

The TimesOnline : Thaksin Shinawatra: the full transcript of his interview with The Times - Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia Editor of The Times, spoke to the ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra at his home in Dubai. Here are edited excerpts from their conversation.

Thaksin Shinawatra: [My election victory in 2001] was the first time in Thai history that one party won half of parliament's seats. We won a landslide – half of parliament's seats - and we formed a coalition government. And it was the first time in Thai history we stayed for a four-year term without the House being dissolved. And it's the first time in Thai history that the prime minister was re-elected for a second term. And the first time in Thai history that we won 377 seats so that we could form a government without needing a coalition – 76 per cent of the parliament's seats at that time.

That became my problem – because I was too popular, being loved by the people too much. That's where my problem comes from.

Source: For full story, read at Times Online.