“It is a kindness,” the Roman poet Ovid once wrote, “that the mind can go where it wishes.” Exiled from Italy to a port city on the black sea, the deeply homesick poet wrote a series of letters lamenting his fate to his friends.
Thaksin Shinawatra, in his self-imposed exile of many years, does not need to write letters. Fortunately for him, the modern world offers him far more convenient options: the direct video links to red shirt rallies in the early years of his exile, or more recently the Clubhouse conversations under the Tony Woodsome pseudonym. And even as he holds court from Dubai, as his mind wanders back home, he finds no difficulty in manifesting himself virtually.
The traveling mind, however, is no substitute for a real return. Everybody in Thai politics knows that Thaksin has one overriding desire: to return home, preferably without any fear of arrest and imprisonment. Even the most amateur of psychologists can parse out as much from his frequent promises that this is the year he finally makes it back. Indeed, his desperation is evident from his singleminded — indeed ruthless — attempts to return his Pheu Thai party to power, so that from the commanding heights of government it can pave the way for a hero’s welcome.
Ken Mathis Lohatepanont 
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