Thailand has given its fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra his passport back, the government said Friday, despite strong opposition from the ex-tycoon's political opponents. Thaksin, whose sister Yingluck is now prime minister, received the document from the Thai embassy in Abu Dhabi in October, the foreign ministry said.
Thaksin was stripped of his passport by the previous Thai government but received citizenship from Montenegro last year, allowing him to travel internationally. Thaksin, who remains a hugely divisive figure, was deposed by the army in 2006 and lives in Dubai.