Special visit from the ‘godbrother’

Hello friend: Hun Sen (right) giving a souvenir to Thaksin during the birthday party in Phnom Penh. — AP

Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra attended a birthday party for outgoing Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in Phnom Penh, according to video posted online yesterday, a day after Thaksin said he would delay plans to return to Thailand following years of self-imposed exile.

Thaksin’s appearance in Cambodia came at a politically sensitive time in neighbouring Thailand, as Pheu Thai, the latest in a string of parties affiliated with Thaksin, is seeking to win enough support in Parliament for one of its members to become the next prime minister almost three months after a general election in May.