BANGKOK, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Tuesday afternoon paid his first visit to the headquarters of the ruling Pheu Thai Party headquarters in 17 years to meet with the party's MPs there.
Some 150 supporters wearing red shirts gathered in front of the headquarters building to welcome Thaksin. Upon his arrival, he was greeted with rounds of applause and red roses.
Thaksin founded the Thai Rak Thai Party, a predecessor of the Pheu Thai Party, with his youngest daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra being the current leader.
Paetongtarn later said her father was delighted after the very first visit to the party headquarters in 17 years. "He seemed happy like returning home," she said.
Local media reported that Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin had previously said that he would not come to meet Thaksin due to other duties.
Earlier this month, Thaksin made his first public appearance since leaving detention on parole in February, followed by a three-day trip to his hometown in the northern Chiang Mai province.
The 74-year-old former prime minister returned to Thailand from self-exile last year and was convicted of multiple charges. According to the Thai government, he was eligible for parole as he is over 70 years old and suffers from a serious illness.
Thaksin served as the Southeast Asian country's prime minister from 2001 to 2006 and had been in self-exile abroad since 2008. ■