by Ling Shuo

    BANGKOK, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- After more than 17 months of self-exile life, Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is likely and ready to pack luggages and return to his homeland soon, amid a possible situation that his supporters will held a huge welcome ceremony and anti-Thaksin camp will re-launch the mass rally to protest his back.

    On Monday, many sources hinted he will be back soon. The Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama, a former legal aide of Thaksin, said the former premier who was ousted during a military coup in 2006 will definitely return to Thailand from self-imposed exile overseas within a month.

Ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra attends a news conference in Hong Kong Dec. 25, 2007. Thaksin said that he hoped to return by Feb. 14 -- St. Valentine's Day -- or April at the latest after Thailand's new government is in place.(Xinhua/Reuters File Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    He confirmed Thaksin's earlier promise that the ex-prime minister would announce Tuesday on the date of his trip back to his home country.

    Noppadon described Thaksin's return as a normal issue since "he wants to fight the charges against him."

    The police have the right to arrest him and the government will not interfere whatsoever, the foreign minister said. He admitted that he made a visit to China over the weekend to meet the former prime minister.

    Meanwhile, Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said he would himself fly to meet Thaksin overseas and accompanying him back to Thailand.

    "I had announced during the pre-election campaign that I will do that. I want to take care of his safety. I'm not over-reacting," the minister said. "A protest against his return might not be appropriate."

    Apparently, anti-Thaksin camp won't sit by and watch the former premier's return. On Monday, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) which is the main anti-Thaksin group issued a statement warning about the eruption of chaos if the government acts as a puppet of the Thaksin regime.

    "It has been proven clearly that the Samak Sundaravej government is in fact the reflection of the Thaksin Shinawatra administration," the PAD said in the statement.

    It claimed that the government was working to benefit one man, the ousted prime minister Thaksin, instead of serving 63 million people.

    However, the ruling People Power Party also said on Monday that the party is ready to mobilize some 10 million supporters to counter the anti-Thaksin protests.

    One of the party executives Pracha Prasopdee said "if the PAD becomes active, I plan to confront it by mobilizing 10 million supporters."

    Pracha also said that although he doubted whether the PAD could attract the crowds to join its street protests, he would not allow PAD leaders to disrupt the restoration of democratic rule.

    On Monday, a source close to Thaksin told Xinhua from overseas that the former premier could be back at any time, but the security after his return is the main issue which needs to be well-considered. The source estimated that Thaksin could be return within one week from Monday.

    Meanwhile, a source from an un-governmental agency which is appointed to provide security protect for Thaksin after his return also said that they were well informed about Thaksin's soon return and they have prepared everything.