Former Thailand prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra expressed his desire yesterday to seek an audience with King Bhumbol Adulyadej after he returns to Thailand in a few months.

"I want to go back to Thailand very much. And I expect to return home in a few months," Thaksin said.

"The first thing I will do when arriving in Thailand, if granted royal permission, is to have an audience with His Majesty the King so that I can prostrate myself at his feet," he told a group of Thai journalists in the United Kingdom.

The ex-PM added he would pay respects to the body of the late Princess Galyani Vadhana, the King's sister, like his wife Khunying Pojaman, who returned to Thailand recently to face corruption charges.

Thaksin, a co-defendant in the graft cases, has rejected accusations by his detractors that he is not loyal to the monarchy. He was also accused of lese majeste when the military overthrew his government in September 2006.

He was speaking to the reporters covering the Thai national football team's training at the Manchester City Football Club, which is owned by Thaksin. After the interview, Thaksin went to watch the match between his team and West Ham United.

Meanwhile in Bangkok, middle-size parties Chart Thai and Puea Pandin last night confirmed their participation in a coalition led by the pro-Thaksin People Power Party (PPP).

Chart Thai leader Banharn Silapaarcha and his Puea Pandin counterpart Suwit Khunkitti called a joint press conference at the Nai Lert Park hotel.

"We can't allow Thailand to stay in a political vacuum. There must be a government to run the country. I announce before the media today that Chart Thai and Puea Pandin, which have a combined 61 MPs, are pleased to become part of a PPP-led government," Banharn said.

He said it was justified for the PPP to lead the government as it had won the most House seats from the December 23 general election.

Suwit said the executives of his party agreed unanimously at their meeting on Wednesday to join the PPP-led coalition because "we want the country to go ahead".

A People Power source said yesterday that after the new House of Representatives convenes for the first time on Monday, it was expected to select its speaker and two deputies the following day. The House was expected to vote on the new prime minister on Friday (Jan 25), according to the source.

Thaksin yesterday expressed support for People Power leader Samak Sundaravej, saying he should become prime minister because his party won the election.

In his media interview in Manchester, Thaksin denied allegations his wife Pojaman returned to Bangkok for political reasons and to influence the formation of the PPP-led coalition. He said she wanted to be close to her children.

Thaksin said he would devote his attention to the development of education and sports.

People Power secretary-general Surapong Suebwonglee yesterday dismissed speculation that Pojaman was involved in the allocation of Cabinet seats among the six coalition partners.

"The speculation is groundless because the negotiations on ministerial appointments have not started yet," he said.

He said linking Pojaman to the Cabinet line-up was a fabrication.

He quashed a rumour that a non-partisan figure might be appointed to the position of defence minister, saying every coalition partner was focusing on by-elections now rather than job assignments. --The Nation