Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's latest tweet reiterating his vow to return to Thailand soon after years of living in self-imposed exile has continued to draw mixed reactions from political parties.
Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul on Tuesday said a return was possible as long as Thaksin was willing to abide by Thai law.
Also in response to Monday's tweet in which the 73-year-old said he wanted to come home to take care of his grandchildren, Rangsiman Rome, spokesman of the Move Forward Party (MFP), said he didn't think it would impact support for the MFP.
"There are many people who love Thaksin, and what he said might have an impact on them. But I'm not really sure if that will be powerful enough to prompt a political phenomenon," he said.
Mr Rangsiman added that the circumstances of any return will be hugely dependent on which party leads the new government.
Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, chief strategist of the United Thai Nation Party's (UTN) southern constituencies, meanwhile, said he believed the more Thaksin keeps saying he will return, the more people will be reminded of how much they will miss Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Mr Thanakorn said voters from now on will be divided into only two camps, those who support the Pheu Thai Party and those who support Gen Prayut.
Meanwhile, Jatuporn Prompan, chairman of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) and now one of Pheu Thai's most vocal critics, said there was nothing preventing Thaksin from returning to Thailand.
"There is no need for him to ambiguously ask for permission to return home as he can always come, and then immigration police will escort him to be detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison," said Mr Jatuporn.
