T haksin Shinawatra is a towering and deeply polarizing figure in modern Thai history, a telecommunications tycoon who became the Prime Minister of Thailand. He began his career as a police officer before earning a doctorate in criminal justice in the U.S. He returned to Thailand and, in the 1980s, founded Shin Corporation, which he built into a massive telecommunications conglomerate, most notably with the mobile network operator AIS. The success of his business empire made him a billionaire.

In 2001, he entered politics and was elected prime minister on a populist platform. He was highly popular, particularly in rural areas, but he was also accused of corruption and authoritarianism. In 2006, he was overthrown in a military coup while he was out of the country. He has since lived in self-imposed exile to avoid a jail sentence on corruption charges, which he maintains were politically motivated. Despite his exile, he remains a hugely influential and controversial figure in Thai politics, with parties loyal to him and his family continuing to be a major political force.