Quotes of the Day

After weeks of lying low in London, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is back in Asia as a private citizen following his Sept. 19 ouster by a military coup. So far he has been spotted riding horses in Beijing, shopping in Hong Kong and golfing in Bali. Where to next? Anywhere but Thailand, where Interim Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said on Nov. 12 that Thaksin should stay away for another year, until after elections are held under a new constitution.

Out of sight isn't out of mind. Thaksin's presence in the neighborhood worries Thai generals, who fear it could preface an attempt to retake power or foment popular revolt in rural areas where he still has support. "A picture of him in Hong Kong in blue jeans is enough to rattle the government," says Michael Montesano, a Thailand expert at the National University of Singapore.

The junta is trying to bring charges of corruption and abuse of power against Thaksin. Yet the new regime is itself starting to lose favor among Thais: promised dates for the repeal of martial law and fresh elections have yet to be announced, and junta members have come under fire for giving themselves pay raises and top jobs in state companies. "The longer the government shows its indecisiveness, the better it is for Thaksin," says Thammasat University politics professor Somjai Phagaphasvivat. Thaksin's legal adviser, Noppadol Patama, says his client's travels around Asia are not intended to capitalize on the junta's rough start: "There's no political game at all; it's just a holiday." Yes, but it looks more and more like a working one.

• Simon Montlake
• Thailand's former Prime Minister is back in the region on holiday—and he's making the generals nervous