JAPAN BANS THAKSIN FROM ENTERING THE COUNTRY

BANGKOK, Feb 5 (Bernama) -- Japan has banned ousted Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra from entering the country, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva
said Thursday.

Speaking to the local media before embarking on a three-day official visit
to Japan, Abhisit, who became premier last December after Thaksin'a allies were
banned from politics and their party dissolved by the court, said he was
informed that the Japanese authorities had decided to blacklist Thaksin.

"I already received reports that Japan has decided to ban Thaksin from
entering the country," The Nation quoted Abhisit as saying on its website.

Thaksin, who came to power in 2001, was ousted by the military in a coup on
Sept 19, 2006. He had been been living in exile since then, except for a short
period when he returned home in 2008.

After a court sentenced him to two years in prison last year, Thaksin was
barred from entering Britain where he has a home and briefly owned the
Manchester City Football Club, and currently spends most of his time in Dubai or
in Hong Kong.

Despite living in exile, Thaksin, who is barred from holding political
position for five years, still commands support and remains popular in the north
and northeast of the kingdom.

The Red Shirt movement, formed by his supporters to attack Abhisit's
government, had been organising rallies in the capital for the past few weeks
and is currently campaiging for the Asean countries to boycott the 14th Asean
Summit in Hua Hin from Feb 27 to March 1.

Abhisit's visit to Japan is aimed at reassuring the country's biggest
investment destination that Thailand has return to normal after a turbulent year
in 2008, where two prime ministers were booted out, major aiports were closed
down by anti-government protesters and Prime Minister's office was seized for
three months.

In 2008, Japanese companies invested BT103 billion (US$10.7 billion) in
Thailand, or 35 per cent of the total foreign direct investment received by it.
-- BERNAMA