Bangkok - It's been hard times for Thailand's former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the man who dominated the country's politics between 2001 to 2006 and continues to be the central character in the kingdom's on-going political drama.

Even with his brother-in-law, Somchai Wongsawat, in place as prime minister and the current cabinet packed with his cronies and nominees, Thaksin has been unable to prevent a series of legal setbacks that have seen him reduced from Thailand's most powerful politician to a homeless, wifeless, fugitive from the law.

Predictably, Thaksin has not taken his new status lying down.

Bangkok - Thailand's fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra has decided not to appeal an abuse-of-power conviction that carries a two-year jail sentence and has turned him in to a divorced, wandering exile, his lawyer confirmed Tuesday.

On October 21, the Supreme Court for Political Office Holders found Thaksin guilty of abusing his position as premier in 2003 by allowing his wife Pojaman to successfully bid on a prime plot of Bangkok land at a government office.

Bangkok - Thai shares lost 3.28 per cent Tuesday on jitters from news of Japan's recession.

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) index ended at 419.97, down 14.24 points, on 7.9 billion baht (229.7 million dollars) in transactions.

"The Thai market was following the Hong Kong and Tokyo bourses down," said Phuwadol Larpudomsuk, an analyst at Asia Plus Securities. "Investors are worried about the impact of recession in Japan on the region."

Bangkok  - A British researcher has arrived in Bangkok to track down nine missing episodes of BBC's legendary Dr Who TV series, the world's longest-running science fiction show that started in 1963, media reports said Tuesday.

"Records show that nine episodes from the 'Dr Who and The Journey to Cathay' series were shipped to Bangkok, and now we're looking for anybody who has any information about it," researcher Damian Finucane told the Bangkok Post.

BBC records show the nine missing DR Who episodes were sent to Thailand in 1967 to be broadcast on Thailand's now defunct Channel 4.

Bangkok - Thailand's fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra is in Dubai, from where he will address his supporters on December 10, a colleague of his said Monday.

The host of the Truth Today talk show, Jaturporn Promphan, who is also a member of parliament in what is considered Thaksin's proxy political party, said the former premier will phone into the show on that date to explain what political direction he will next take.

Bangkok - Providing a rare glimpse of Thailand's royal pageantry and rituals, the funeral procession for Princess Galyani Vadhana, the elder sister of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, was held Saturday.

The princess' remains were escorted on an ornate palanquin carried by 60 soldiers from the Dusit Maha Prasart Throne Hall at the Grand Palace, where the remains had been lying in state for the past 11 months, to Sanam Luang, or the Royal Grounds, where Thai kings and royal family members have been cremated for the past two centuries.